Not that this ultra-high achieving daughter of an American father and Chinese mother found being in the limelight in any way unusual. Born in San Francisco in 2003, she had taken up skiing as a hobby by the age of three, and five years later got into freestyle skiing, an exacting sporting discipline that demands some spectacular acrobatics. She more than proved her worth at the X Games in Aspen, Colorado, in January 2021, when she became the first rookie woman ever to win three medals. Two months later, she repeated her hat-trick, picking up three more at the FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships.

Away from the slopes, Eileen has shone at just about everything she has turned her hand to. She accelerated into the fast track at high school and has been accepted by California’s Stanford University and has also dived into the world of fashion modelling, gracing the covers of numerous glossy magazines. Small wonder she made it to Forbes’ “30 under 30” list, nor that social media in China hail her as “Snow Princess”, nor that, as an Asian-American, she has become a respected voice for women’s empowerment.

“I have always believed sport has no boundaries,” says Eileen.

“It’s one of the best vehicles to unite people, promote understanding, forge friendships, and create bridges between cultures.