Abby McLarnon is “On the Rise”

Abby McLarnon, hailing from Steamboat Springs, Colorado, is the youngest and newest athlete on the Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team moguls team, representing the strong pipeline in U.S. moguls skiing. Despite not starting to compete in moguls skiing until she was 13, McLarnon is a lifelong skier and spent her younger years learning multiple different ski disciplines. In 2024, she represented Team USA at the Youth Olympic Winter Games in Gangwon, South Korea and brought home two bronze medals in dual moguls and dual moguls team. She continued her upward trajectory with a bronze medal performance at the 2025 FIS Junior World Championships in dual moguls and ended the season with two third-place finishes at the Toyota U.S. Championships, earning her a spot on the Stifel U.S. Ski Team for the 2025-26 season. 

This season, McLarnon took her opportunity and ran with it, earning her first World Cup starts, a silver medal at Junior Worlds and finished the year ranked third in the overall NorAm Cup standings. This season, Abby is looking to continue growing both on and off the snow. Learn more from the rookie below.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s “On the Rise” series, presented by Zions Bank, highlights athletes throughout the season. Through community service, sponsorships and charitable donations, Zions Bank is committed to fueling economic growth and enhancing the quality of life in Idaho, Utah and Wyoming.

Q: What initially drew you to the sport? 
Abby McLarnon: I was initially drawn to the sport through the desire to try something new. I always loved skiing but was never competitive until I was 13. Being on a team that did everything, I was able to try out most of the different disciplines. The more I learned about mogul skiing, the more I fell in love with it.

Q: When you were younger and getting into the sport, what were your goals? 
AM: When I was younger, I always wanted to be on the U.S. Ski Team. Watching the other girls on the team continuously crushing it in competition and on social media always drove me to learn new things. I am so grateful to be able to call myself their teammate now and push myself to become the best athlete I can be. 

Q: What is your biggest accomplishment?
AM: My biggest accomplishment is not only making the team, but how my previous season went. I was able to get to know my teammates and grow a bond with them while also progressing and having my best competition season thus far. I was able to progress a lot while continuing to get the results I was in search of.

Q: What is your ultimate goal?
AM: My ultimate goal is to ski at the Olympics. I hope to be able to compete for my country on the ultimate stage. I would also like to be an advocate for youth athletes who are getting into the sport. Being a role model for young girls specifically would be incredibly fulfilling.

Q: Who are your heroes? Both in & out of the sport?
AM: My heroes within the sport are some of my coaches; specifically, Bobby Aldighieri, Freddy Mooney, Josh Kober, Bryon Wilson and Bryan Zemba. Without their continuous support and encouragement, I would not be where I am today and continuing to improve the way I am. 

Outside of the sport, it would be my parents. Growing up in a strong female household taught me to always believe in myself. My mom is my ultimate hero, and I am so grateful for everything she has done for me. My dad comes to as many of my competitions as he can and is my biggest supporter. Without him teaching me how to ski when I was young, I would never have gained the experiences I have through mogul skiing.

Questions sponsored by Zion's Bank.

Q: You win $5,000 in prize money: what do you do with it?
AM: I would make sure to put some into a savings account, one that earns interest and accrues over time. I would also make sure to use it to take care of my mental and physical wellbeing. Taking care to make sure you're happy is the most important thing of all.

Q: Do you have a budget or follow a spending structure?
AM: I am not financially independent yet, but I am learning more and more about budgeting! I don't budget things out yet, but I should start. It is definitely useful to get into the habit of doing!!

Q: What's one money habit you follow?
AM: One money habit I follow and will continue to follow is making sure to always put money into my savings account. Having money available if I need it is important to me.

Follow Abby McLarnon on social media.