Malta’s Bao Bun Eating Winter Olympian Jenise Spiteri Is Making International News For All The Right Reasons
Jenise Spiteri may have finished 21st in her respective category at the Winter Olympics, but she’s certainly won the hearts of people all across the globe.
From her tri-coloured hair to her gold-glittered eyelashes and a personality that more than matches, Jenise poured her heart out in the preliminary round of the half-pipe event. But it didn’t all go to plan, having failed to qualify for the next round.
Regardless, she loved every minute of it, responding with a humble bite from a Bao Bun stowed securely in her jacket pocket.
Jenise Spiteri from Malta pulled a bao bun out of her pocket after her halfpipe run 😂 #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/YSGI9QtrTN
— On Her Turf (@OnHerTurf) February 9, 2022
A presence on the stage at the Olympics was more than enough to spark a nervous tummy, so Jenise only thought it fit to stuff two buns inside her pocket. Only she forgot all about them.
Her arrival at the base of Genting Snow park, the place where athletes go to await their score, marked the moment where she rediscovered the possibly-frozen treats, so in true Maltese fashion, she downed one, on live TV.
“It’s like my favorite food that we have in the village,” said Spiteri.
“When I was like strapping into dropping for that second run, I was like, ‘oh my God, my dumpling is in my pocket!'”
“I thought having a little bite of it would help soften the blow of falling on that run.”
You can’t argue with the logic.
It’s been reported across the globe, from the USA today to the New York Times, with journalists even waiting to speak to her after her performance.
Jenise Spiteri is the sole athlete representing Malta in the #WinterOlympics & we think her hair deserves a gold medal 🥇
📺: @NBC & @peacocktv | #WatchwithUs pic.twitter.com/bj5mfbmMJK
— On Her Turf (@OnHerTurf) February 5, 2022
On another note, Jenise even gave a shout-out to one of our most prized creations: Pastizzi.
“It’s definitely the best thing to eat in Malta.”
I really wanted to show the world the best snowboarding I could do and I’m a little bummed I didn’t put on the show I’m capable of. However, seeing the hundreds of tweets from people congratulating me here really makes me feel special. Thank you all for the support! pic.twitter.com/uHEE9FO5rF
— Jenise Spiteri (@jenisespiteri) February 9, 2022
The 29-year-old Maltese-American Jenise Spiteri hit the snow at the 2022 Winter Olympics as Malta’s sole competitor in the entire event.
Her entry made her the first-ever Maltese snowboarder to compete in the sport in the winter Olympics.
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.”
Now, Spiteri, who is set to bear the Maltese Flag in Beijing, will honour her grandfather’s legacy.
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!”
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