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Eileen Gu’s gravity-defying success on the snow is often mirrored by the powerful matriarchy that anchors her life off it. Born in San Francisco to a Chinese mother and an American father, Gu has long credited her dual heritage and family support for her rise to Olympic superstardom.
Together, this cross-continental family tree has cultivated more than just a gold medalist; it has raised a global icon who balances a Stanford education and a high-fashion career with the same poise she brings to a 1620 in the halfpipe.
Get to know Gu’s family.
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Who raised Eileen Gu?
Gu was raised in a household defined by a powerful matriarchy, primarily led by her mother and grandmother in San Francisco.
Her mother, Yan, was at the center of it. A single mother, Yan moved from China to the U.S. in her twenties. She is a former chemical engineer and investment expert, but perhaps most importantly, she was a part-time ski instructor at Lake Tahoe. She is credited with introducing Eileen to the sport and remains her primary manager.
Yan raised Eileen in a bilingual household and ensured she spent nearly a third of every year in Beijing to maintain her heritage. Her own academic success served as a blueprint; she encouraged Eileen to graduate high school early and eventually attend her own alma mater, Stanford.
Then, there is her grandmother, Feng, known affectionately to Eileen as “Nai Nai.” Feng is a former senior engineer at China’s Ministry of Transport. She moved to the U.S. to help raise Eileen and is responsible for Eileen’s fluent Mandarin and deep pride in her Chinese heritage. Gu often describes her grandmother as “fiercely competitive” and the person who taught her to always strive for the top.
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Eileen Gu mom: Yan Gu
Yan is the central architect of Eileen Gu’s career, serving as her mother, manager and primary coach throughout her rise to Olympic stardom.
Born in Shanghai, Yan was an accomplished academic long before becoming her daughter’s manager. She graduated from Peking University with a degree in biology and later moved to the United States to earn a master’s in molecular biology from Auburn University and an MBA from Stanford. Her professional background as a venture capitalist and investment expert in China and the U.S. provided the foundation for managing Eileen’s endorsement portfolio and global media presence.
Her influence on Eileen’s skiing career began almost by accident. While Yan was a short-track speed skater and an avid skier herself, even working as a part-time instructor at Lake Tahoe, she initially put Eileen into ski school at age 3 simply so they could enjoy family trips together. Despite her early wariness regarding the dangers of freestyle skiing, Yan eventually became her daughter’s most dedicated supporter, driving her eight hours round trip from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe every weekend for training. She is famously credited with “accidentally creating a pro skier” by fostering Eileen’s passion while simultaneously prioritizing her daughter’s physical health, such as enforcing a strict 10- to 15-hour sleep schedule.
Even in the competitive world of elite sports, Yan remains the primary decision-maker behind the scenes, having famously convinced Eileen to take a gap year from university to focus on her gold-medal defense at the 2026 Milano Cortina Games.
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Eileen Gu grandmother: Feng Guozhen
Gu’s grandmother, Feng Guozhen, is often cited as the emotional and cultural engine.
Guozhen (often called “Nai Nai” by Eileen) is a native of Nanjing and a graduate of Xi’an Jiaotong University. Before retiring, she was a distinguished professional in her own right, serving as a senior engineer in the Structural Reform Department of China’s Ministry of Transport. Her own athletic background — having played basketball and competed in track during her university days — laid the groundwork for the multi-generational emphasis on sports within the family.
After Eileen was born in San Francisco, Feng moved to the United States to help raise her, becoming a presence in her daily life. She is credited with teaching Eileen to speak fluent Mandarin; by taking Eileen back to Beijing for several months every summer, she ensured her granddaughter developed a deep, authentic connection to Chinese culture.
Despite her high-level engineering background, Feng’s role was hands-on; she sent Eileen to piano and math lessons and acted as a primary caregiver, allowing Eileen’s mother to focus on the logistical demands of a burgeoning pro-skiing career.
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Does Eileen Gu have any siblings?
Gu does not have any siblings; she was raised as an only child.
She grew up in a household in San Francisco shared with her mother and grandmother. Because she was raised as a single-child, she has often spoken about the incredibly close bond she shares with these two women, whom she describes as the primary influences in her life.
While she has no biological siblings, she has a very close sibling-like relationship with fellow Chinese skier Su Yiming. The two grew up training together, and Su has frequently referred to Eileen as his “sister” in interviews.
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Who is Eileen Gu’s dad?
Little is publicly known about Eileen Gu’s father, as he has not been involved in her public life, and Gu herself does not discuss him in interviews.
His name and current profession have never been officially confirmed. While there has been online speculation regarding his identity, Gu and her mother have made a deliberate choice to keep that side of their family history private.
Is Eileen Gu’s father white?
Based on the information available in the context of her public profile, Eileen Gu’s father is an American and a graduate of Harvard University.
While there has been widespread media discussion regarding her mixed-race heritage—which Gu herself has embraced by referring to herself as a “mixed kid” — her family has maintained a strict level of privacy regarding her father’s specific identity and background. He was not involved in her upbringing and has never appeared in major interviews or promotional materials.
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Eileen Gu ethnicity
Gu is of mixed-race heritage, which she has frequently embraced by referring to herself as an Asian-American.
Gu has famously described her fluid sense of identity with the phrase: “When I’m in the U.S., I’m American, but when I’m in China, I’m Chinese.” She has also stated that “nobody can deny I’m American, nobody can deny I’m Chinese,” emphasizing that her ethnicity and nationality are not “either-or” categories but a blend of both worlds.
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Eileen Gu citizenship
Gu was born and raised in San Francisco and originally competed for the United States. In 2019, at age 15, she requested a change of sporting nationality with the International Ski Federation (FIS) to represent China.
She has competed for China in both the 2022 Beijing Games and the 2026 Milano Cortina Games.
Does Eileen Gu speak Chinese?
Gu grew up in a bilingual household in San Francisco, speaking both English and Mandarin. She spent a significant portion of her childhood summers in Beijing, which she credits for her deep connection to Chinese culture.
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Where was Eileen Gu born?
Gu was born in San Francisco, California.
Raised in the city’s Sea Cliff neighborhood, she grew up in a household with her mother and grandmother. While she has represented China in international competition since 2019, she has often spoken about her deep roots in the Bay Area, where she attended high school and later enrolled at Stanford.
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Where does Eileen Gu live now?
Gu continues to live in the United States, primarily in San Francisco, where she still shares her family home in the Sea Cliff neighborhood with her mother and grandmother. As an undergraduate student (currently in her junior year), she lives on or near the Stanford campus during the academic term.
Leading up to the 2026 Milano Cortina Games, she spent significant time living in Scharnitz, Austria, in rental properties to focus on her training. During the competition season, she typically resides in hotels in China and Europe.
