• Tess Johnson, 25, will return to the Olympic moguls field at Milan-Cortina 2026 after debuting in Pyeongchang (2018).
• She overcame a missed 2022 Games and spinal surgery in 2023 to compete again by November that year.
• Johnson credits journaling and her grandfather Bill Johnson’s journalism legacy for helping her stay grounded.
• The Vail native brings experience, routine and a tight-knit team mindset into the Olympic cycle.

H2: From Vail slopes to the Olympic start gate

Tess Johnson grew up steeped in skiing. Raised in Vail, Colorado, by a ski-instructor mother and a ski-patroller father, she was on skis at age two. The community and outdoor life shaped her athletic identity and she began competing in bumps and jumps around eight or nine.

After making her Olympic debut in Pyeongchang as a 17-year-old, Johnson missed Beijing 2022 and faced a major physical setback. In April 2023 she underwent spinal surgery for a chronically herniated disc. By November 2023 she was back on the circuit — and now, at 25, she’s set to return to the Games.

H3: Recovery, experience and a clear routine

Johnson says the Pyeongchang experience left her with confidence and a realistic view of Olympic pressure: don’t push away the intensity, lean into it. That outlook, combined with the resilience built through injury and rehab, is central to her comeback.

Her travel and competition routine is precise: two pairs of skis (one backup), poles, boots, helmet and multiple pairs of gloves. Personal items include a yoga mat, recovery tools such as a Theragun and foam roller — and her journal. Johnson journals both morning and night: morning entries set goals and gratitude, while evening pages help “get it all out” and sleep better.

H3: Journaling, legacy and mental edge

Writing is more than habit for Johnson. Her grandfather, Bill Johnson — who covered skiing and wrote the first article about moguls at the 1992 Albertville Games — inspired her love of words. She keeps a framed copy of his early moguls coverage and describes writing as both a training tool (notes on technique and cues) and an emotional tool to manage anxiety.

She often rereads past journals, including entries from her 2018 Olympic experience, calling the practice a kind of time travel that reveals growth as an athlete and a person.

H4: Team dynamics and race-day focus

Moguls is an individual sport nested within a close team environment. Johnson embraces the tension of competing alongside teammates she trains with daily. Pre-run, she simplifies her focus to a single cue and positive self-talk. That minute-and-a-half in the start gate is about converting preparation into performance.

H5: Looking ahead

Johnson says she might write more professionally after her competitive career, but for now she’s focused on leaving everything on course in Milan-Cortina. With experience, a comeback story and a focused mental game anchored by journaling, Tess Johnson arrives at the 2026 Olympics as a contender and a testament to resilience.

Image Referance: https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/sporting/a69852497/tess-johnson-moguls-interview-journaling-2026/