Meet Winter Games Olympians on Saturday

How many 20-year-olds do you know who have earned not one, but two medals at the Winter Olympic Games? On Saturday, you’ll have a chance to meet this skier and learn what it takes to win gold and bronze on the worldwide stage.

Liz Lemley trained at Ski and Snowboard Club Vail and is the first American mogul gold medalist since Hannah Kearney in the 2010 Winter Games in Canada. After a torn ACL during a training run for the opening race in Ruka, Finland sidelined her during the 2024-2025 World Cup season, Lemley was determined to make it to the 2026 Winter Olympic Games — and win. She earned a gold medal in moguls and a bronze medal in dual moguls this past February.

Joining Lemley for the event at the Vail Brewing Company in EagleVail will be fellow Ski and Snowboard Club Vail alum and two-time Olympian Dylan Walczyk. Walczyk got a top-10 finish in this year’s Winter Games as well.

Saturday’s event will allow fans to take photos and get autographs with these athletes. Ski and Snowboard Club Vail will be hosting live music and a silent auction with several ski-related items like skis, ski jackets and Oakley goggles, gloves, sweatshirts and even some items from the Olympics. There will also be videos shown of the athletes’ runs to pump up the crowd.

Lemley and her mogul ski coach, John Dowling, will be heading to France this summer for training. Walczyk is going to be doing some training with the Finnish team.

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“We hope to bring young Ski and Snowboard Club Vail athletes along to ski with Liz this summer in France,” John Dowling said. “Both Liz and Dylan are so involved in helping the next generation of mogul skiers.”

This event was put together with the help of former World Cup Mogul skier Michael Friedberg, who used to coach moguls for Ski and Snowboard Club Vail. He asked his former fellow Ski and Snowboard Vail Club coach and friend, Garrett Scahill, if his brewery would host the party. Garrett is the co-founder and head brewer of Vail Brewing Company and he agreed to host the event on Saturday at its location in EagleVail from 3:30-6:30 p.m.

“This is just a great event to share in the success of these athletes and celebrate our community,” Dowling said. “It’s great that former coaches like Garrett and Michael are still involved in the sport. Garrett’s daughter is in moguls and maybe Michael’s daughter will be, too.”

Who knows, those two Vail Valley kids could also be the next Olympic contenders. And that’s why this is important to attend — in order to raise money for scholarships so that accessibility to the sport is not an issue. Come inspire the next generation at this event that is free and open to the public.