Nevada skier Elle Murphy rooted in Irish heritage as she trains for 2026 Winter Olympics

Growing up in the mountain town of Glenwood Springs, Colo., Nevada skier Elle Murphy was raised in ski boots.

"My dad, coming from Ireland, thought winter sports were super unique and something so different, so he really wanted us girls, me and my sister, to ski race," Murphy said. "So, we were introduced when we were 8 years old to ski racing."

Murphy’s father was born and raised in Ireland before moving the United States. Her mother is from Washington. The Colorado native holds dual citizenship in the United States and Ireland.

"When I was about 14 years old, I went to my first international race, competing for Ireland in Andora, and that experience really opened my eyes to the possibilities that I had racing for Ireland," Murphy said.

Murphy attended high school online through the Colorado Connections Academy while living in Europe and competing internationally. She represented Ireland and won a bronze medal at the FIS 2019 World Junior Alpine Ski Championships in Italy, marking the first time an Irish athlete has earned a world medal in winter sports for the U18 age group. She landed back in the United States at Sierra Nevada University in Incline Village and transitioned to Nevada in 2022 when program was resurrected as a Division I sport after a 12-year hiatus.

"The community is extremely helpful and really willing to help the team and the development of Nevada skiing," Murphy said. "Collegiate skiing in the U.S. is extremely competitive, so it’s kept me pushing, wanting more and knowing where I stand with some of the most competitive skiers in the country."

Murphy represented the Wolf Pack and Team Ireland in the 2025 FISU World University Games in January. After skiing for three years at Nevada, she will trade in silver and blue for green and orange as she prepares to train full-time with hopes of qualifying for the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy in 2026 with Team Ireland. Those Olympics are less than a year away, beginning Feb. 6, 2026.

"I was named to a long list as a potential candidate for choosing," Murphy said the 2022 Beijing Games. "The Irish team, because we're considered a small nation within winter sports, only has one quota for a female and one male to attend. So, I was on the long list but not fully nominated. I think I've matured a lot within my career, and I'm looking forward to possibly being able to compete in Milano Cortina. I was recently named to the long list again, and I'm also receiving a scholarship from the IOC and the Olympic Committee of Ireland. Having their support financially has been a big game-changer for me to be able to compete in more places, travel more and compete at a higher level."

Murphy said most Irish skiers are dual citizens and compete in North America or overseas in Europe due to the lack of snow in Ireland.

"It would be a childhood dream come true and something that I've always looked up to, especially being Irish and seeing the development of the team over the years," Murphy said being an Olympian. "When I was younger, there were only about three or four girls, and now there's over 10. Seeing the development and being kind of on the front stage of that would be extremely special."

Murphy also is giving back to Ireland as a guide for its paralympic ski team. Away from the mountain, she enjoys expressing her creative side and making floral arrangements for her small business "BoneDry."

"For me, it's taking the time to kind of be with myself and my thoughts and my intentions," Murphy said of making floral arrangements. "Obviously doing something with my hands in floral arrangements is using that creative side. And ski racing, there's more intensity to it, But it's been nice to kind of have something that I can do on my off time that's not as intensive and competitive."

You can watch the feature on Elle Murphy below.