Julia Mancuso is not only a gold medal winning Olympian, she is a huge fan of the Winter Games too. While the 41-year-old alpine skier no longer competes competitively, she is tuning into the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina from home with her three children.
Unlike her former teammate, Lindsey Vonn, Julia is retired. "[Lindsey and I] are the same age," she told HELLO!. "So when she had her come back, I was thinking…we have a lot of similarities. [But] there's no way I could ever do that again."
Julia discussed the risks that come with alpine skiing. She knows it's a dangerous sport. The former Olympian watched Lindsey crash and break her tibia during the downhill event on Sunday, February 8.
© Getty ImagesJulia's career with Lindsey Vonn
The two alpine skiers grew up skiing together and were rivals starting at 12-years-old. The two were known to approach skiing differently – Lindsey with a regimented plan and Julie with a lot of creativity.
While they may have skied differently, their health is strikingly similar. In 2018, Julia got a hip replacement. Six years later, Lindsey underwent a partial knee replacement. But only one of them is still a professional skier.
"I should have [gotten a hip replacement] earlier," Julia told HELLO!. "When I was trying to make the PyeongChang Olympics, I was trying to overcome this crazy injury, and we just didn't really think that replacement was a safe thing to do. But now looking back, I'm like, I would have been way stronger."
© Getty ImagesWatching Lindsey compete, Julia told HELLO! she felt "a ton of nostalgia," but she is in a different phase of her life.
Julia's life as a mom-of-three
In 2017, Julia married professional surfer Dylan Fish. Soon after, they started growing their family. Julia and Dylan are parents to three kids – Sonny, Brody, and Rise – and raise them between Hawaii, Fiji, and Lake Tahoe.
Her life as a mom-of-three is much different than it was when she was an Olympic skier. Julia still has athletic ambitions, but they are different. "You learn a lot from being an athlete, and a lot of it is like there were non-negotiables," she told HELLO!. "I feel like I'm just back in the same place as everyone like, 'How do I motivate myself?'"
Something that has made Julia's life significantly easier is Factor, the world's leading ready-to-eat meal delivery service.
© Factor"If I say I'm going to go to the gym, I go to the gym, even if it's just for five to 10 minutes. Those five to 10 minutes will add up," Julia explained to HELLO!. "It's the same thing as having your Factor meals for the week – I know that I'm going to be getting the right fuel and nutrition afterwards, and not skip a meal [because of] the preparation."
Julia partnered with Factor and fellow Olympian Apolo Ohno on the Gold Collection – a curated selection of meals and functional add-ons.
© InstagramWith her nutrition taken care of, Julia told HELLO! she is: "looking forward to [getting] back skiing." She continued: "I'm taking my kids skiing. We're going to spend some time in the mountains in March. It's really fun to teach my kids to ski. It's fun that they can do it from such a young age."
