Nicole Schmidhofer

Nicole “Nici” Schmidhofer, born on 15 March 1989 in Friesach, Austria, is one of the most successful Austrian ski racers of her generation.

Growing up in the mountains of Styria, she was on skis from an early age. At the age of 9, her ski career began right on her doorstep in Lachtal, from where it would take her around the world. Nicole’s dream was to become a masseuse, but that dream had to wait. Something more exciting came along first: the path into the Alpine Ski World Cup, with all its highs and lows.

Nici celebrated her greatest successes in the speed disciplines, downhill and Super-G, with the World Championship title in St. Moritz in 2017 and the downhill overall World Cup title in 2019 as her absolute highlights.

Yet her career was equally shaped by serious injuries and setbacks. It was precisely these challenges that shaped her into someone who shows, impressively, how resilience, courage and a positive mindset are decisive in coming back stronger after a crisis.

Today, Nici Schmidhofer captivates audiences as a keynote speaker with authentic insights into her extraordinary career. She combines personal experience from elite sport with practical impulses for companies and teams. Her talks convey how to handle pressure, turn setbacks into opportunities, foster team spirit and stay focused on goals even in challenging situations.