VERMONT SPORTS HALL OF FAME

Photo Credit: USA Ski and Snowboard

Norwich

Freestyle-Moguls Skiing

Inducted 2026

Hailing from Norwich, Vt. and learning to ski on the hills of the Upper Valley, Kearney took the World Cup moguls circuit by storm as a youth and became only the second American woman to top the Olympic podium with a gold medal in her discipline.

Eight years after driving herself to her first World Cup event in Quebec, Kearney won the gold medal at Vancouver in 2010, her second time representing the U.S. at the Olympics. She first competed in the Olympics in Turin in 2006 at age 19 and wrapped up Olympic competition with a bronze at Sochi in 2014. 

Her skiing career started with four junior World Championship moguls titles. She then hit the moguls World Cup circuit full-time at age 17, winning two competitions in her rookie season. A year later, Kearney was the 2005 moguls World Champion. She also was the overall World Champion again in single moguls in 2013, and also secured a bronze medal in duals. In addition to her 2014 Olympic bronze, Kearney was the overall and moguls world champion after skiing to seven World Cup wins. 

Kearney retired in 2015 with eight World Championship medals, three U.S. championships, and 46 World Cup victories, matching the record set by fellow American Donna Weinbrecht. She also was a 14-time World Cup medalist in dual moguls, earning 11 gold, one silver and two bronze.

Kearney also played soccer and ran track at Hanover (N.H.) High School, winning state championships in both sports.

She was inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in 2024.