As the Winter Olympics kick off in Italy on February 6th, South Africa is entering a brand new chapter. For the first time ever, a South African woman will compete in the skeleton, one of the fastest, most brutal sports on ice. Born in Cape Town and now based in the UK, Nicole Burger has hurtled headfirst not only into Olympic history but also in to medalling history. Already a trailblazer, she’s claimed South Africa’s first international sliding medals (gold, silver and bronze), alongside multiple top-six finishes across the North American Cup and Europe Cup circuits during the 2025/2026 season.
In this episode, Nicole takes us deep into her extraordinary journey. From her competitive edge in rugby, athletics and horse riding to her transition to elite sliding. She also takes us into the sport of skeleton, (and why it’s called that!), the experience of it, the 135km twists and turn with your face an inch from the ice. We talk about shares the Royal Air Force and why she joined, how it led her to skeleton, the surreal reality of becoming an Olympian after just three years in the sport, and the almost crazy reactions she gets as a South African competing in a winter sporting discipline.
We talk about her deep connection to South Africa, her love of rugby and keeping the idea of loving the sport and having fun as central to competing. I’m also curious about the broader community of skeleton, the competition as well as the connection shared, and how some nations connect and encourage even with jazz hands dancing at the start line! Yes, South Africa has phenomenal athletes using their own resources and proudly flying our flag at the Winter Games, and Nicole Burger is one of those athletes. Here is the official Skeleton program for the Games, so we can follow her journey and cheer her on.