As 2025 winds down and the 2026 Olympic year approaches, the sound of a champagne cork popping has a slightly different feel at Indra Brown’s home in Calgary, Canada.

“I practiced helping my parents pop out of bottles in the New Year,” Brown told ABC Sports with a laugh.

“It was a lot of fun.”

It’s no wonder a 15-year-old Melbourne schoolgirl was taken to pop a bottle of champagne with some concern.

But this was important. Brown needed practice.

In early December, Brown became Australia’s youngest ever Snowsports World Cup medalist at 15 years and 10 months. Wins bronze medal in Olympic halfpipe at Secret Garden Resort in Zhangjiakou, China.

Despite making his World Cup debut, Brown quickly showed he was worthy of the world stage.

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Her brilliant performance placed her on the podium Three-time Olympic medalist and defending Olympic champion Irene Gu And defending world champion Zoe Atkin is truly a household name.

Her lack of World Cup experience didn’t show up on the snow.

But when it came time to open the cork on the celebratory champagne, Brown showed a bit of sincerity for the first time.

Luckily, Goo was on hand to assist in what turned out to be one of the most innocent and heartwarming interactions on tour this season.

Goo, American-born Chinese superstar Having become the first freestyle skier to win three medals in one Winter Olympics at the 2022 Winter Olympics, he is one of the most famous athletes in the world and has appeared on the covers of Elle, GQ, and Vogue, among others.

The surrealism of having this global megastar help him to the World Cup podium was not lost on Brown.

“It was a very special moment,” she said.

“Just standing there with the idol I’ve always admired.

“My sister helped me with the champagne, which made the moment even better.”

Record-breaking start

A great start to her career with just five FIS World Cup appearances. Brown has been selected for the Australian Winter Olympic team that will compete in Milan-Cortina next month..

It certainly takes a rare talent to be able to dive straight into the fierce competition of elite competition and find your own.

Even for the world’s best winter sports athletes, those who make sliding look like an art and seem to bend the most dangerous terrain to their will, baby steps are the smartest way to start.

That’s why Brown’s start to his World Cup career was so extraordinary.

Of course, Brown is no stranger to skiing. She has been enjoying snow since she was three years old. A family trip to Mount Hotham inspired her to develop her artistry while living in Calgary, Canada, for five years.

“I think I just loved the thrill,” she told ABC Sports from Aspen, Colorado, the day after her fourth World Cup, where she finished fourth.

“I think the fun aspect was a big part of this piece.” [pursuing freestyle skiing] And the creativity you can have just to express yourself and show your true love for the sport.

“You can be creative, you can change your style, there is no right or wrong in this sport.

“It just gives you a sense of freedom and being able to express yourself in a really fun way.”

Having fun is one thing. But she probably never dreamed she would achieve so much on the World Cup circuit.

He placed third in his debut in the halfpipe at the 2022 Olympic Games held at Secret Garden Resort in Zhangjiakou.

next, 2nd place at Copper Mountain, Colorado 2 weeks later.

Then, surprisingly, First World Cup gold medal It was only her third World Cup start, and it came on the snow in her hometown of Calgary.

She is the second athlete in history to win three medals in her first three starts in World Cup freeskiing, matching Swedish skier Jenny Lee Bermansson.

“I think I just wanted to go in and score runs,” Brown said of his breakout debut performance in China.

“I’ve worked really hard this season.

“So just going out there and making some runs that I was really happy with…and getting the results that I got was even better. I couldn’t be happier.”

“It definitely gave me a lot of confidence just knowing that I belong here and that I can compete against these great athletes.

“It certainly gave me a lot of confidence.”

“Being able to give kids the opportunity to dream is very special.”

Brown, one of four children, is on tour this season with her mother, Ann, and her younger brother, who also shows an aptitude for skiing.

Her father, Grant, spends most of the year back at home in Melbourne with his two other siblings, but will head to Canada and the United States for Christmas and stay in Livigno for the Olympics.

“For us, it’s really great,” Grant told ABC Sports.

“The happiness that sports bring to Indra.

“As long as she’s still performing and really, really enjoys it, and it’s her choice to do this. If all these planets align, it would be pretty special to be able to give kids a chance to dream, and that’s what she’s thriving on right now.”

Ms Grant said that one of the most important things, apart from ensuring Indra continued with her schoolwork, was how welcoming her daughter was on the tour and the supportive environment that allowed her to grow, and the Zhangjiakou champagne moment was a perfect example of that.

“The sense of community is really, really important,” he said.

“Athletes come from all over the world for competitions, training camps, and more, and they really enjoy not only skiing together, but also meeting and playing with each other.

“That’s really reassuring for us parents.”

Indra has a lot of people he can talk to about what it’s like to compete in the Olympics at such a young age.

Brown will be the youngest Winter Olympian to represent Australia since Scottie James and Britteny Cox both competed at the age of 15.

She said she spoke to Guseri. He finished 6th in the snowboard halfpipe in Beijing when he was 16 years old. And it became even more The only snowboarder in history to win World Cup medals in all three Park & ​​Pipe events in one season..

Injuries have hampered Brown’s bid to qualify for all three events at this year’s Olympics, which he hopes to achieve in 2030 when the Olympics move to the French Alps.

“I’ve been talking to Val and other Australian athletes all along and it was really great to get their insight given this experience,” she said.

“It’s a very special, once-in-a-lifetime thing. So just embrace it, don’t put any pressure on yourself, just enjoy it, enjoy the moment and see where it takes me.”

“It’s really special to have such a great team and group of athletes around me.”

Brown also credits her “amazing” mother and family for all the support she has had throughout her competition, including keeping her on a steady diet of two Australian staples: Weet-Bix and Up and Go.

This means that, despite Brown’s distinct Canadian identity, she was never intended to represent Canada in international competition. “No, I’m fully Australian,” she said.

And her incredible progress means she heads to Milan for a real medal chance.

“It’s a dream come true to represent Australia at the Olympics,” she said.

“Once I started skiing seriously, I realized that it was something I had always wanted to do and dreamed of doing.

“It’s just incredible to have this opportunity and gain these experiences at this age.

“I’m really looking forward to going to Milan.”