Zoi Katherine Sadowski-Synnott is the person who changed what was possible for New Zealand winter sports. Before her, no athlete from the country had ever won gold at a Winter Olympics. She did it at age 20 in Beijing, standing on top of the slopestyle podium wearing the silver fern, making history that will last forever.
She was born on March 6, 2001, which makes her 24 years old as of early 2026. She competes in snowboard slopestyle and big air, two events that require throwing your body through the air while spinning and flipping on a piece of wood strapped to your feet. She’s won three Olympic medals across two Games, claimed three world championship golds, and collected 13 X Games medals. Her career resume reads like someone twice her age.
Where She Actually Comes From
Sadowski-Synnott was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Not New Zealand. That surprises people who assume she grew up in Wānaka surrounded by mountains.
Sadowski-Synnott was born in Sydney, Australia, to a New Zealand father, Sean Synnott, and an American mother, Robin Sadowski. Her father Sean is from New Zealand. Her mother Robin is American. The hyphenated last name comes from combining both parents’ surnames, which reflects the family’s multicultural identity.
She initially grew up in the Sydney suburb of Newport before moving with her family to Wānaka, New Zealand, when she was six years old. Newport is a beach suburb on Sydney’s Northern Beaches—surfing culture, ocean views, nothing resembling snow. The move to Wānaka when she was six changed everything.
Wānaka sits in New Zealand’s South Island surrounded by mountains. Winter sports aren’t just popular there—they’re part of the town’s identity. Her family’s relocation put her in an environment where snowboarding was accessible year-round, with world-class terrain parks and coaching within driving distance.
Her Family
She has two older brothers, Dylan and Harrison, and one older sister, Reilly. That makes her the youngest of four siblings in a family where everyone rode.
Her parents’ names are Robin Sadowski and Sean Synnott. Her father Sean is from New Zealand and her mother Robin is American, which gives Zoi eligibility to represent New Zealand despite being born in Australia.
According to multiple sources, her family leased Snow Park NZ shortly after moving to Wānaka. That detail matters. Snow Park is one of the Southern Hemisphere’s premier freestyle terrain parks. Having access to that facility as a young kid learning to snowboard created opportunities most athletes never get.
Her siblings all snowboarded, which meant she was never riding alone. Growing up as the youngest in a family of four snowboarding siblings builds competitive instinct naturally. You’re constantly trying to keep up, trying to match what older brothers and sisters can do.
She was educated at Mount Aspiring College. She balanced high school with international competition, which required managing academics alongside a travel schedule that had her competing across different continents.
Physical Profile and Ethnicity
Zoi’s height is 5 feet 5 inches or 1.65 meters, whereas her weight is 57 kg or 126 lb. She’s not physically imposing, which is common in snowboarding. The sport rewards agility, spatial awareness, and technical precision more than size or strength.
Her ethnicity comes from her parents’ backgrounds. Her father is from New Zealand—ethnically European/Pākehā based on the Synnott surname. Her mother Robin Sadowski is American, and the Sadowski surname suggests Polish or Eastern European heritage. This makes Zoi of mixed European descent through both parents, though specific ethnic details beyond this have not been publicly discussed by her or her family.
Regarding religion, Sadowski-Synnott has not spoken about spiritual or religious beliefs in verified interviews or media appearances. This aspect of her life remains private.
How She Started Snowboarding
She learned to ski when she was young and took up snowboarding at the age of nine. Most professional snowboarders start younger, but nine is still early enough to build the foundational skills needed for elite competition.
According to official Olympic sources at nbcolympics.com, after first hitting the slopes on skis when she was 4 years old, Sadowski-Synnott switched to snowboarding at age 9.
Her early training centered on Cardrona Alpine Resort and Snow Park, both near Wānaka. The ability to ride in New Zealand’s winter and then travel to the Northern Hemisphere for their winter gave her year-round access to snow—a huge advantage in development.
She soon learned to love the competitive nature of snowboarding and performing in front of crowds. That love for competition separated her from recreational riders early. Some kids ride for fun. She rode to win.
Breaking Through as a Teenager
At just 15, she began competing on the World Cup circuit, and by 2017 she had claimed a silver medal in slopestyle at the FIS Snowboard World Championships. Winning world championship silver at 15 years old announced her as a genuine contender, not just a promising junior.
Her Olympic debut came at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games when she was 16. She won the bronze medal in the women’s big air, becoming only the second New Zealander to win a Winter Olympic medal, after Annelise Coberger who won silver in the women’s slalom at the 1992 Winter Olympics.
During qualification, she became the first woman to land a switch backside 900 in competition. Landing a trick no woman had ever landed in competition, at the Olympics, at age 16—that’s the kind of moment that defines careers.
At age 16 years 353 days, Sadowski-Synnott briefly became New Zealand’s youngest ever Olympic medallist, breaking the previous record of 17 years 100 days set by Danyon Loader at the 1992 Summer Olympics. The record was broken later the same day by Nico Porteous at age 16 years 91 days.
She was subsequently selected as New Zealand’s flag bearer for the 2018 Winter Olympics closing ceremony, becoming the nation’s youngest-ever flag bearer.
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Beijing 2022 and Making History
On 6 February 2022, Sadowski-Synnott won the gold medal in the slopestyle event at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. This was New Zealand’s first gold medal at the Winter Olympics.
That gold medal changed everything. Not just for her career, but for how New Zealand viewed winter sports. The country had sent athletes to Winter Olympics for decades without ever reaching the top of the podium. She did it at 20 years old.
Sadowski-Synnott followed up her gold with a silver in the Big air, becoming the first New Zealander to win multiple medals at a Winter Olympics.
At the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, she added another silver medal in women’s big air, bringing her Olympic medal count to Five: one gold, three silver, and one bronze across three Olympic Games.
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World Championships and X Games Dominance
In February 2019, she won the gold medal in the slopestyle at the 2019 FIS Snowboard World Championships. She successfully defended that title in 2021 and won again in 2025, making her a three-time world champion in slopestyle.
Her X Games success has been equally impressive. In January 2019, Sadowski-Synnott claimed the gold medal in the slopestyle event, and the silver in the big air, at the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado. She has won 13 X Games medals total, including six golds.
In March 2019, she won the slopestyle event at the US Open in Vail, Colorado, completing the triple crown of the Open title, the X Games gold, and the World Championship title. Winning all three in the same season is extremely rare.
Personal Life and Relationships
Sadowski-Synnott keeps her personal relationships private and rarely discusses her romantic life publicly
She has not publicly discussed relationships or partners in verified media appearances. At 24 years old and competing at the highest level of her sport, her public focus remains on snowboarding rather than personal matters.
She still lives in Wānaka, New Zealand, the same town her family moved to when she was six. Despite international fame and sponsorships that could allow her to live anywhere, she’s stayed connected to the place where her career began.
Sponsorships and Income
Sadowski-Synnott has maintained a primary sponsorship with Burton Snowboards since her junior years, serving as a key member of their global team. Burton is the largest snowboard brand in the world, and being a team rider with them provides significant income alongside equipment support.
Her endorsements extend to several prominent brands, notably Monster Energy as her primary energy drink sponsor. She also partners with 100% Snow for eyewear and BOA Fit Systems for boot technology.
Prize money from World Cup events, X Games podiums, and Olympic medals adds to her income, though snowboarding’s prize purses are modest compared to mainstream professional sports.
Net Worth
According to available estimates, Sadowski-Synnott’s net worth is approximately $3 million to $5 million as of 2026. This figure accounts for sponsorship income, prize money, and Olympic medal bonuses from the New Zealand Olympic Committee.
These are estimates rather than confirmed disclosures. Athletes rarely publish exact financial details, and net worth calculations depend on factors like taxes, expenses, and investments that remain private.
What’s certain is that her Beijing gold medal significantly increased her earning potential. Olympic champions attract higher sponsorship values and appearance fees than athletes without gold medals, even in non-mainstream sports.
Recognition and Honours
In the 2023 New Year Honours, Sadowski-Synnott was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to snow sports. This honor recognized her historic Olympic success and impact on New Zealand’s winter sports culture.
She was subsequently awarded the Lonsdale Cup for 2022 by the New Zealand Olympic Committee. The Lonsdale Cup is New Zealand’s premier Olympic award, given to the most outstanding Olympic performance of the year.
She has won multiple Snow Sports New Zealand Athlete of the Year awards and was named the Supreme Halberg Award winner in 2023—New Zealand’s highest sporting honor.
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