Kelly Sildaru is Estonia’s most celebrated freestyle skier, a world-class athlete whose career has been defined by style, consistency, and the courage to keep pushing forward no matter the setbacks.
Born in Tallinn in 2002, she grew up far from the high mountains usually associated with winter sports. The small local slopes became her training ground, and with the support of her family, she was already competing internationally while most children her age were learning their first ski turns. At just 13, Kelly made history at the Winter X Games in Aspen, winning gold in slopestyle and becoming both the youngest champion in the event’s history and the first Estonian to claim a medal there. That victory was the spark that turned an emerging talent into a global name.
From that moment on, Kelly’s career gathered speed. She went on to win 10 X Games medals, including multiple golds, and added a Youth Olympic gold, a World Championship title in halfpipe, and an Olympic bronze in slopestyle at the Beijing 2022 Winter Games. Her versatility is rare – she has reached the podium in all three of freestyle’s major disciplines: slopestyle, halfpipe, and big air. Known as the “queen of rails” for her precision and creativity on technical sections, she pairs difficult tricks with a smooth, effortless style that makes her performances stand out in any competition.
Kelly Sildaru, world champion freestyle skier from Estonia. Photo: Krõõt Tarkmeel
Success has not come without challenges. In 2017, a torn ACL kept her out of the PyeongChang Olympics. Years later, another serious knee injury in early 2023 forced her into a long and difficult rehabilitation, testing both her patience and determination. By the end of that year, she was back on snow, slowly rebuilding her strength, only for another ACL tear to cut her comeback short in late 2024. Three major injuries in less than a decade might have ended many careers – but for Kelly, they have become part of her story. Her eyes remain set on a full return, with the 2026 Milano–Cortina Olympics firmly in her sights.
Tallinn has always been her anchor. While her profession takes her to training camps in the Alps, the Rockies, or New Zealand, she continues to live in Estonia, surrounded by friends and family. She still enjoys skiing the small local hills where it all began, using them as a reminder of how far she’s come. The connection to home is central to her identity, and despite global recognition, she remains a familiar and approachable figure in Estonia’s sports community.
Off the slopes, Kelly’s life reflects her curiosity and drive to explore new experiences. She has appeared at Tallinn Fashion Week, merging sport and style with the same confidence she brings to competition. She has also shown her compassionate side, rescuing stray dogs during her travels and bringing them to Estonia to ensure they are cared for. In 2023, her life became the subject of a feature-length documentary that followed her journey from a young talent to one of Estonia’s most successful athletes, revealing the dedication and resilience behind the medals.
Now in her early twenties, Kelly Sildaru is already a two-time Estonian Female Athlete of the Year and a recipient of the Order of the White Star. Yet her story feels far from complete. Whether she’s standing on an Olympic podium, landing a new trick, or inspiring the next generation of Estonian skiers, she continues to prove that the size of your home hills doesn’t define the height of your ambitions.
Video: Kristjan Taal
Rooted in Estonia concept
Kelly Sildaru doesn’t just ski – she rewrites the rules of gravity.
In the air above an urban skyline or on snow-slick mountain slopes, she moves with precision and power. Each jump is a question thrown at the sky. Each landing is an answer.
Seasons change. Snow covers the land and melts again, but her trajectory has always pointed up. What she does isn’t just sport – it’s fearlessness.
And she makes it look effortless.
Sildaru reminds us that brilliance doesn’t always shout. Sometimes it soars – quietly, beautifully – leaving behind a trail not of snow, but of awe.
Concept: AD Angles
Clothing: PUUE universe
Styling: Marion Laev
Photo: Krõõt Tarkmeel
Video: Kristjan Taal
Location: Tallinn Cruise Terminal
Funded by the EU – NexGenEU
