Julia Marino, a former Westport resident, won the United States its first Olympic medal in the 2022 Beijing Olympics on Feb. 5. Her outstanding snowboarding skills took her all the way from placing 11th in the PyeongChang Olympics four years ago, to winning silver in Beijing.

 By winning silver in the women’s slopestyle, Marino gave Westport a special moment in the spotlight.

“I think it is so cool to see Westport represented in the Olympic Games,” Talia Moskowitz ’24 said. “I think it really brought the town together to cheer her on and celebrate her victory.”

After her medal winning run, Marino felt extremely happy for her success after capturing the win. 

“Right now it’s just pure excitement and happiness for everything, it was a great day,” Marino said on NBC. “The weather was perfect, the course was perfect, the girls were riding well, couldn’t have asked for better finals.”

Rhyia Anand ’25 explains how seeing someone from Westport in the Olympics made her feel represented and happy for her success. 

“Seeing someone who grew up in a similar environment and have the same access to resources as me end up at the Olympics is awesome,” Anand said. 

Although some people do not watch the Olympics, seeing someone from their home-town perform and win in this major competition can prompt them to tune into the games. 

“Westport’s such a small town and having someone that won that comes from here makes me want to watch other people and see what they can do along with her,” Eva Glennon ’24 said. 

In response to this great accomplishment, First Selectwoman Jen Tooker says a parade may be taking place in celebration of Marino’s next arrival in Westport. 

“She worked very hard and I think people should celebrate and support her,” Glennon said.