Filipina Tallulah Proulx creates history and memories at the Winter Olympics

Dubai: Even as Alexandra Eala continues to make waves at the Dubai Tennis Championships and across the tennis world, her compatriot Tallulah Proulx is grabbing the headlines at the Winter Olympics in Milan.

The Alpine skier became the first female athlete from the Philippines to compete in the Winter Olympics – and at 17, the youngest ever from the Southeast Asian country.

It comes as no surprise that the Philippines is suddenly back in the news for its sporting exploits. Back at the 2024 Paris Olympics, gymnast Carlos Yulo won two gold medals to trigger wild celebrations in his home country.

The Philippines does have a rich history in sports with Manny Pacquiao, pound-for-pound the best boxer in the world and former sprint queen Lydia de Vega, dubbed the fastest woman in Asia, dominating during their heydays.

And now at the winter Olympics, the US-born Proulx is turning heads as she declares: “This is a new era for the Philippines and sports on the global stage and I really am grateful that I get to be a part of it."

Proulx finished 50th in the slalom at the Milan Cortina Games on Wednesday after carrying her country's flag during the opening ceremony.

She was 52nd in the giant slalom.

She grew up skiing at the Sierra Tahoe resort in California, then moved at age 7 to Iowa and raced at tiny Sundown Mountain before moving on Colorado and then settling in Park City, Utah, where she now resides.

Proulx's father is from the Eastern Samar province in the Philippines' Eastern Visayas region.

"And I have a lot of relatives, family back there and honestly the response has been so heartwarming," Proulx said. "Filipinos are just such warm and welcoming people. … I think that's what makes us really strong and I'm so grateful that I get to be the first Filipina because I show that others can follow in my footsteps and hopefully get more involved into winter sports, which I know is quite hard in the Philippines."

Proulx was slated to visit the Philippines for the first time a few years ago before her trip got canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Still, she has immersed herself in the country's culture, thanks to her grandmother.

"Me and my brother grew up with her cooking – all of course the delicious Filipino food and sharing her culture," Proulx said. "Unfortunately, last year she passed away. … I really wanted to push for this and wanted to represent such an important part of my heritage, both for her and for myself."

In Cortina, Proulx traded pins with American slalom standout Paula Moltzan and got a picture with slalom gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin.

"It's amazing being around these people that I've looked up to my whole life," she said, "and then realize I'm skiing that course next."

Next up for Proulx is a trip to the Philippines.