For The First Time Ever, Malta Will Compete In Snowboarding At The Winter Olympics
29-year-old Maltese-American Jenise Spiteri is set to hit the snow at the 2022 Winter Olympics next month.
Her entry makes her the first-ever Maltese snowboarder to compete in the sport.
I started snowboarding when I was 18. I got the crazy dream to try and go to the Olympics at 20. I competed in my first pro halfpipe event at 22. I came one spot away from making it to the 2018 Olympics at 25. And now at 29, I’VE EARNED AN ENTRY FOR THE 2022 OLYMPICS!!! pic.twitter.com/YdYpNI9HVZ
— Jenise Spiteri (@jenisespiteri) January 17, 2022
Of American descent, Spiteri has an intricate past tied to the Maltese islands, with her grandparents having emigrated all the way from San Fransisco to Hamrun in the wake of World War II.
Her grandfather, in fact, was her direct link to a relationship with the ice.
“My nannu created an ice skate boot company (SP-Teri) that became one of the prominent figure skating companies in the world. Every Winter Olympic year I would watch news crews come to his factory for interviews about how he hand-made skates for top champions such as Michelle Kwan.”
Jenise Spiteri just outside the shoe store her grandfather worked in during the 1940s, Hamrun.
Now, Spiteri, who is set to bear the Maltese Flag in Beijing, will honour her grandfather’s legacy.
“After supporting Olympians from around the world with equipment for so many decades, I am so proud to be able to honour my nannu and finally represent his home country at the Olympics. He never got to see me compete on a snowboard before he passed away, but I know he would be so proud of all that I’ve achieved.”
Spiteri’s road to the competition was paved with many triumphs as well as disappointments, her having missed out on a spot at the 2018 Olympics with a knee injury.
“Qualifying for the Olympics has been such a crazy battle with more unexpected struggles than I imagined facing when I first began,” Spiteri said.
“The past eight years of putting everything I had into this dream has been far from easy, but along the way, I got to travel the world, make amazing memories, and meet great friends.”
“I’m going to be giving it my all here in Switzerland for my last 11 days of training before the Games to try and accomplish my goals so I can put down a dream run for everyone to watch in Beijing.”
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Jenise’s fun and outgoing nature had made national headlines a few years back when she appeared on an episode of popular US game show Let’s Make A Deal (Season 11 Episode 59 aired on New Year’s Day).
You can watch the clip right here.
In the show, Malta was brought up a couple of times by beloved comedian and impromptu satirist Wayne Brady, who made fun of everything from Malta’s (limited) international sports accomplishments to the national anthem itself.
Jenise dreams of a day where Malta can field a full contingent at such events, having told Lovin Malta:
“I really hope I inspire some Maltese people to get involved in snow sports. When I talk to people in Malta they say ‘well we don’t have snow so we can’t do that’ – but I didn’t grow up in the snow either!”