Olympic moguls skier Charlotte Wilson swapped the quiet of Jindabyne for Sydney’s bustle to chase a podium finish. That leap of faith transformed her game, both on and off the mountain.
By Bek Day. Photography: Mark Lehn
Big ambitions require big moves – something Olympic moguls skier Charlotte Wilson understands more than most. As a teenager, she traded the quiet country roads of her beloved Jindabyne for boarding school in Sydney to follow her Olympic dream – a move that launched a career defined by discipline, structure and micro-moments of resilience building.
“In Jindy, not only does everyone know everyone else but they also know where everything is,” says 21-year-old Wilson. “It’s a case of learning the city in about five streets.” The athlete, who grew up in the small town near NSW’s Snowy Mountains, remembers being shell-shocked when, at 15, she moved to Sydney for boarding school to pursue her sporting career. It wasn’t just a new school, it was a total lifestyle overhaul.
“Moving from the family home just outside a small country town to the biggest city in Australia was overwhelming at first,” she recalls. “I went from Mum driving me everywhere to having to get myself to training, handle my schoolwork and do so much more for myself.”
After graduating high school, Wilson’s urban education hit overdrive. She’s currently studying materials science and engineering at UNSW, all while her “office” shifts across the globe. “In July and August, I’m in Perisher [in NSW] at the snow,” she says. “Then over the Australian summer, I train in Ruka, Finland, and the rest of the year is spent at the NSW Institute of Sport in Sydney.”
Living out of a suitcase means managing the bottom line is key. One of the most eye-opening costs Wilson now tackles is nutrition. Fuelling an elite athlete isn’t cheap. “Now that I take care of my own budget, I’ve realised how much planning and preparation goes into eating properly without overspending.”
Living in Dee Why on Sydney’s Northern Beaches has thrown plenty of steep learning curves at Wilson but then again, navigating steep drops is literally her job.
“The move has helped me build a lot of different skills outside of sport, too, even down to parking and driving in heavy traffic.” Adjusting from quiet country roads to busy commutes means solid time management is now non-negotiable. “I’ve had to learn to be super organised.”
The pay-off? Access to world-class resources. “I have strength and conditioning coaches, plus physiotherapists – and all that is vital going into the Games. That kind of support makes the traffic jams worth it.”
Perhaps the biggest win from the move, however, is mental. “It sounds silly,” Wilson admits, “but there are all these little moments where you’re pushed out of your comfort zone. Moving to the city forced me to adapt fast.”
Wilson says these moments of discomfort and experiencing new things have made it easier when bigger things are at stake, too. “Going to a new gym class, working with new people or even going to a new grocery store are all chances to push myself more.”
These days, she’s far more confident. “I can talk to anybody and travelling is much easier now that I know I can put myself in uncomfortable situations knowing I’ll be totally fine.”
Balancing a university degree, Olympic training and a social life requires some serious fiscal fitness. Here’s how Charlotte keeps her finances on track:
“I try to plan my meals for the week ahead. That way, when I’m tired I know I have something in the fridge that’s easy to make and I don’t have to get takeaway.”
“I try to enrol in online lectures, which reduces the amount of driving I do. I also always carry my student card for concession discounts – you never know what you can save on.”
“I’ve started planning my days during the offseason so I can be intentional with ‘fun money’. I make time to see friends but also try to make smart choices, putting away a little extra for high-cost travel periods.”
An earlier version of this article was published in Brighter magazine.
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