Jenise Spiteri
{{Short description|Maltese-American snowboarder (born 1992)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Jenise Spiteri
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| national_team = Malta
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|9|20}}
| birth_place = Redwood City, California, U.S.
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| alma_mater = Sierra Nevada College
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| height = 5 ft 4 in
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| sport = Snowboarding
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}}
Jenise Lynae Spiteri (born September 20, 1992) is a Maltese-American snowboarder. The first Maltese Olympic snowboarder, she competed in the halfpipe event at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Biography
Spiteri was born on September 20, 1992, in Redwood City, California.{{Cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/148660|website=Olympedia|title=Jenise Spiteri|access-date=July 14, 2023|archive-date=May 31, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230531070305/https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/148660|url-status=live}} She has Maltese ancestry, with her grandfather having emigrated to the United States from there after his home was destroyed in World War II.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/outdoors/article/Olympian-Jenise-Spiteri-responds-to-haters-16922193.php|website=SFGATE|title=Olympian Jenise Spiteri, a San Francisco native who trained in Tahoe, responds to 'haters' 12 years later|date=February 15, 2022|author=Tom, Matthew|access-date=July 14, 2023|archive-date=July 14, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230714183106/https://www.sfgate.com/outdoors/article/Olympian-Jenise-Spiteri-responds-to-haters-16922193.php|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=https://maltadaily.mt/jenise-spiteri-becomes-first-ever-maltese-snowboarder-to-compete-at-the-winter-olympics/|newspaper=Malta Daily|title=Jenise Spiteri becomes first ever Maltese snowboarder to compete at the Winter Olympics|date=January 22, 2022|access-date=July 14, 2023|archive-date=July 14, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230714183106/https://maltadaily.mt/jenise-spiteri-becomes-first-ever-maltese-snowboarder-to-compete-at-the-winter-olympics/|url-status=live}} She grew up initially wanting to be an actress, appearing in several commercials when young.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/08/sports/olympics/jenise-spiteri-snowboarding-malta.html|newspaper=The New York Times|title=For Malta's only athlete at the Games, it was a long road to snowboarding in Beijing: Ten years after asking friends on Facebook to help her learn the halfpipe, Jenise Spiteri is the first snowboarder to ever represent Malta at the Olympics.|author=Petri, Alexandra E.|date=February 8, 2022|access-date=July 14, 2023|archive-date=July 14, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230714183106/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/08/sports/olympics/jenise-spiteri-snowboarding-malta.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.summitdaily.com/sports/winter-sports/take-5-jenise-spiteri-the-first-maltese-national-snowboarder/|newspaper=Summit Daily News|title=Take 5: Jenise Spiteri, the first Maltese national snowboarder|date=January 22, 2016|author=Lindeman, Phil|access-date=July 14, 2023|archive-date=July 14, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230714183107/https://www.summitdaily.com/sports/winter-sports/take-5-jenise-spiteri-the-first-maltese-national-snowboarder/|url-status=live}}
Snowboarding career
Spiteri began her snowboarding career in 2010 while at Sierra Nevada College, after writing a social media post that read "Wanted: someone to teach me how to ride pipe tomorrow. Anyone available?"{{Cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/beijing/2022/02/09/jenise-spiteri-eats-dumplings-malta-snowboarder-beijing-winter-olympics/6717579001/|newspaper=USA Today|title=Dumpling-eating California snowboarder competing for Malta might be the most interesting person at the Winter Olympics|author=Nickle, Lori|date=February 9, 2022|access-date=July 14, 2023|archive-date=July 14, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230714183106/https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/beijing/2022/02/09/jenise-spiteri-eats-dumplings-malta-snowboarder-beijing-winter-olympics/6717579001/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://olympics.com/en/news/jenise-spiteri-claps-back-malta-olympian-beijing-2022|publisher=Olympic Games|title=Jenise Spiteri claps back at doubters: "Actually, I'm an Olympian.": Team Malta athlete has last laugh at people who dismissed her snowboarding dream after she competes at the Olympic Winter Games.|date=2022|author=Byrnes, Liz|access-date=July 14, 2023|archive-date=August 14, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230814010914/https://olympics.com/en/news/jenise-spiteri-claps-back-malta-olympian-beijing-2022|url-status=live}}
Spiteri competed for the team at Sierra Nevada and decided her goal was to represent Malta at the Winter Olympic Games. A teammate made the suggestion and Spiteri realized it made sense as a way to pay homage to her grandfather, who died in 2010, as he had a connection to the Olympics through his company that produced figure-skating equipment for Olympians such as Michelle Kwan.
Despite going through several injuries, including a torn ACL in 2012, another in 2017 as well as a torn meniscus the latter year, Spiteri continued snowboarding. She was a top-15 finisher for Malta at the 2014–15 FIS Snowboard World Cup and just barely missed qualifying for the 2018 Winter Olympics by one spot, despite competing through her ACL and meniscus injuries. As snowboarding is expensive, Spiteri lived out of a car, then a van, and worked several odd jobs (including being an extra in Euphoria) while reusing her gear each season, additionally opening a GoFundMe account to help pay for the costs. She also ran several social media accounts, gaining over 30,000 subscribers on YouTube.{{Cite web|url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220209-rainbow-haired-snowboarder-puts-malta-in-rare-winter-olympic-spotlight|publisher=France 24|title=Rainbow-haired snowboarder puts Malta in rare Winter Olympic spotlight|date=February 9, 2022|access-date=July 14, 2023|archive-date=July 14, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230714183105/https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220209-rainbow-haired-snowboarder-puts-malta-in-rare-winter-olympic-spotlight|url-status=live}}
Spiteri finally qualified for the Olympics in 2022, and thus became Malta's first Olympic snowboarder, their only participant at the 2022 games, and only their second participant all-time at the Winter Olympics in any sport. She served as Malta's flag bearer and competed in the women's halfpipe event, placing 21st, eating a bao between runs that she forgot she had kept in her pocket.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wkyc.com/article/sports/olympics/meet-jenise-spiteri-the-us-born-athlete-representing-malta-at-the-olympics/507-c835664b-3af2-4153-bc8d-672cc0951d9d|publisher=WKYC|title=Malta snowboarder wins over fans after pulling bao bun from pocket after Olympic run|date=February 9, 2022|author=Mendoza, Diego|access-date=July 14, 2023|archive-date=August 14, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230814010915/https://www.wkyc.com/article/sports/olympics/meet-jenise-spiteri-the-us-born-athlete-representing-malta-at-the-olympics/507-c835664b-3af2-4153-bc8d-672cc0951d9d|url-status=live}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.jenisespiteri.com/ Spiteri's website]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spiteri, Jenise}}
Category:Sierra Nevada College alumni
Category:American snowboarders
Category:Sportspeople from Redwood City, California