Cover Eileen Gu spoke to Tatler at the Rosewood Hong Kong on July 28 (Photo: courtesy of @eileengu/Instagram)
Eileen Gu spoke to Tatler at the Rosewood Hong Kong on July 28 (Photo: courtesy of @eileengu/Instagram)
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Olympic freestyle skier and Stanford graduate, Eileen Gu, met up with Tatler in Hong Kong to talk sleep, self-trust and why she’s never afraid to ask a ‘dumb’ question
Eileen Gu doesn’t slow down. Between Olympic gold medals, a Stanford degree and a growing roster of global brand partnerships, the 22-year-old freestyle skiing champion is used to operating at full speed, in front of full crowds, with zero margin for hesitation. So when the Chinese American athlete touched down in Hong Kong this week for Sun Life Private Wealth’s launch event, Tatler grabbed five minutes with her to find out how she does it—and what “fearless” actually means once the skis come off.
Here are Eileen Gu’s five rules for living (and thriving) without fear.
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1. Ask the “dumb” question
For Gu, fearlessness doesn’t start on a mountain—it starts with raising your hand.
“There’s nothing embarrassing about asking a question or being the one to raise your hand in class,” she says. “Always ask. The worst that can happen is someone saying no. And then you learn a little. So what?”
The takeaway: rejection isn’t a setback—it’s just information. Ask anyway.
2. Protect your sleep like it's a job
No amount of ambition, Gu says, makes up for a bad night’s sleep.
“Getting enough sleep is the foundation of doing quite literally anything,” she explains. “It’s better to sleep one hour more than to do anything in that one hour if you are in sleep debt. So get your sleep. Get your eight to ten hours.”
The takeaway: discipline isn’t just about grinding harder—sometimes it’s about clocking out.
3. Be your own motor
Chasing something extraordinary, Gu says, only works if the drive comes from within.
“You have to be the motor,” she says. “In order to do anything extraordinary, you have to put in an extraordinary amount of work. So of course it’s going to be difficult. But if you choose that versus if it’s imposed upon you, there’s a very different outcome.”
The takeaway: the same hard work feels completely different depending on who’s demanding it of you. Make sure it’s you.
4. Build a self-trust so deep, nothing can shake it
Constantly on the move between countries, languages and identities, Gu says her real sense of security doesn’t come from a place or a person—it comes from herself.
“When it comes to confidence and sense of place, you have to have your own routines and a really deep sense of self-trust,” she says, “that no matter what happens, your favourite companion—or the person you trust the most—is with you always.”
The takeaway: security isn’t external. It’s a relationship you build with yourself.
5. Preparation beats any confidence trick
Ask Gu what her pre-ski pep talk is and she’ll tell you there isn’t one—not really.
“You can’t trick yourself into it. There’s no way you can convince yourself at the last moment,” she says of competition day. “You don’t rise to the occasion, you fall to your preparedness. If you are just so over-prepared, that will get you through the day.” Off the slopes, she admits, it’s a little different: “There’s a moment where you have to choose to act like the best version of yourself, even if you don’t feel like it—the classic ‘fake it ’til you make it’. But I don’t think there’s anything fake about aspiring. There’s something beautiful in aspirational living.”
The takeaway: confidence isn’t a switch you flip. It’s the residue of preparation—or, when all else fails, a decision you make anyway.
Bonus rule
When asked what the best investment she’s ever made in herself was, she didn’t hesitate. “Going to school, choosing to stay in school and being a full-time student: I think that’s the best investment I've ever made in myself,” she says. “Learning never gets old, and reading books never goes out of fashion. Even now that I’ve graduated, I don’t think I’ll ever stop learning—or ever stop being curious.”
Being fearless clearly isn’t a personality trait. It’s a set of daily choices—and Eileen Gu has hers down to a science.
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As Content Director at Tatler Hong Kong, Tara shapes the brand's editorial vision across social, digital and print. She also drives the planning and execution of Tatler's flagship IPs. In her dual role as Head of VIP, she reports on Asia's most influential figures — from CEOs and leaders across business, style and the arts — curates star-studded events, and builds the relationships and communities that define the brand. Born and raised in the Middle East, she honed her craft in Dubai, crafting communication strategies for luxury brands across the Gulf. Follow her on Instagram @tarasobti.
