Eileen Gu Reflects On 2022 Olympics: ‘The Worst Failure Is To Not Try’

>>> WE'RE BACK AT 8:37.

WITH THE STAR OF THE WINTER OLYMPICS.

EILEEN GU RACKED UP SEVERAL MEDALS OEN THE SLOPES.

JUGGLING HER NEWFOUND FAME WITH COMPETITION, COLLEGE ON THE HORIZON AND A STUNNING APPEARANCE AT THIS WEEK'S FASHION'S BIGGEST NIGHT.

TAKE A LOOK.

>> WELL, EILEEN GU.

>> THIS IS WHAT FEBRUARY LOOKED FOR FOR 18 YEAR OLD FREESTYLE SKIER EILEEN GU.

GOLDEN.

THE AMERICAN BORN TEEN WHO GREW UP IN CALIFORNIA WON NOT ONE, NOT TWO BUT THREE OLYMPIC MEDALS FOR TEAM CHINA, HONORING HER MOTHER'S HOME COUNTRY ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE.

>> THE GOLDS IN BIG AIR AND HALF

PIPE MAKE SHE USED HER PODIUM FINISHES AS A PLATFORM TO CHEER ON THE NEXT GENERATION OF YOUNG

WOMEN.

>> I ENKOURK YOU ALL TO ACCEPT OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE TO SHOW THE BOYS THAT GIRLS ARE JUST AS POWERFUL AS THEY ARE.

>> Reporter: SINCE BEIJING SHE'S GONE FROM SMASHING RECORDS IN HISTORIC FASHION TO BECOMING A FASHION ICON.

MAKING A NAME FOR HERSELF AS ONE OF THE FACES OF LUXURY BRANDS LOUIS VUITTON AND TIFFANYS.

ROCKING BOTH ON THE CARPET AT THE MET GALA.

EILEEN, SO GOOD TO HAVE YOU IN STUDIO.

BY THE WAY YOU REALLY ARE THE WHOLE PACKAGE.

SAVANNAH AND I WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT YOU.

FIRST OF ALL AN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST.

EVERYTHING IN FASHION.

WHAT DID YOU GET ON YOUR SATs?

>> I GOT A 1580 ON MY SAT.

>> DID YOU STUDY -- DO YOU STUDY ALL THE TIME?

ARE YOU A HARD WORKER, OR DO THINGS JUST COME EASY FOR YOU.

>> I DID TAKE EVERY SINGLE AVAILABLE ONLINE TEST FOR THE SATs SO I'M NOT GOING TO SIT BACK AND LIKE OH THAT WAS EASY EAST SIDE.

BUT YEAH IT WAS JUST STANDARDIZED TESTS AND YOU CAN STUDY FOR THEM.

>> HARD WORK SEEMS TO BE YOUR THEME.

WHEN YOU GOT THE MEDALS IN BEIJING, WAS IT A PINCH ME MOMENT OR WAS IT LIKE LOTS AND LOTS OF PRACTICE THAT HAPPENED TO WORK OUT PERFECTLY AN THAT DAY.

>> I THINK IT WAS BOTH.

THE STANDOUT MOMENT FOR ME WAS ENWHEN I LANDED THAT 1620 IN WIG AIR WHICH WAS ANY FIRST EVENT.

AND I'VE ALWAYS SAID MY MESSAGE IS ABOUT INSPIRING YOUNG GIRLS AND INSPIRING MORE PEOPLE TO HEAR ABOUT THE SPORT AND TO USE IT A AS FORCE TO CREATE INTERCONNECTION AND CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION AND

I KNEW THAT IT WAS SUCH A BIG MOMENT AND THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE WATCHING AND IT WAS MY TIME TO LIVE UP TO THAT STANDARD THAT I'VE SET.

AND SO IN THAT SENSE I WAS LIKE NO MATTER WHAT, THERE IS NO FAILURE BECAUSE IF I DON'T LAND THE WORST FAILURE IS TO NOT TRY SO I JUST WANTED TO TRY IT AND I'D NEVER DONE IT BEFORE.

I'D NEVER EVEN TRIED IT ON AIR BAG OR ANYTHING.

LANDED IT AND GOT THAT GOLD MEDAL AND I WAS ON TOP OF THE WORLD.

>> YOUR MOM TAUGHT YOU WELL.

YOU CAN TELL SHE'S ALWAYS SUPPORTING YOU.

SHE'S ACTUALLY HERE IN STUDIO.

AND YOU DID MAKE A DECISION TO COMPETE FOR CHINA.

AND I WAS JUST WONDERING THE THOUGHT PROCESS.

I KNOW THAT WASN'T AN EASY DECISION.

I KNOW IT CAME WITH BACKLASH.

SO TELL ME ABOUT THAT PIECE.

>> FOR ME ITS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT USING FORCE -- USING SPORT AS A FORCE OF COMMUNICATION.

AND ESPECIALLY IN FREE SKIING, IT IS SO PERSONAL.

AND CREATIVE AND THERE IS STYLE.

AND LOT OF PEOPLE IN CHINA HAD NEVER EVEN HAERTD OF IT SO INTRODUCING THAT SPORT CULTURE TO YOUNGER GIRLS ESPECIALLY, IT CHANGED MY LIFE.

AND SO TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT KIND OF CONTACT WITH THE SPORT.

NOW THERE ARE 300 MEL MILLION PEOPLE IN CHINA WHO HAVE GONE ON SNOW AFTER THE WINTER OLYMPICS AND THAT IMPACT IS ABSOLUTELY INSANE.

>> DO YOU FEEL YOU NEEDED TO HAVE A THICK SKIN FOR WHAT CAME AT YOU AFTER THAT.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

PEOPLE TRY TO HAVE THEIR OWN OPINIONS.

BUT I KNOW THERE IS NO WRONG OR WRIGHT.

THERE IS ONLY INTENTION AND I'M TRYING TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE IN MY OWN WAY.

AND IF PEOPLE DISAGREE WITH THAT THAT'S OKAY.

AND I JUST ENCOURAGE THEM TO MAKE THE WORLD BETTER IN THEIR WAY.

WE CAN APPROACH THIS FROM DIFFERENT STANDPOINT.

IS YEAH.

TO EACH THEIR OWN.

>> GOING TO STANFORD.

>> I'M GOING GO COLLEGE IN THE FALL YES.

>> YOU ARE GOING TO COLLEGE IN THE FALL.

YOU ARE A MODEL.

YOU DO ALL THAT STUFF.

ARE WE GOING TO SEE YOU AT THE OLYMPICS AGAIN?

>> WHO KNOWS.

HONESTLY I REALLY LOVE SKIING STILL.

THE AS VERY PERSONAL AND EXPRESSIVE PART OF ME AND I THINK IT MAKES ME WHO I AM.

IT'S TAUGHT ME RESILIENCE AND CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION SO IN THAT SENSE, YEAH.

I THINK WHY NOT.

BUT YEAH.

LET'S SEE HOW W.H.O. SCHOOL GOES

FIRST.

>> YOU ARE A LOVELY AND DELIGHTFUL PERSON.

AND YOUR MOM IS HERE CHEERING YOU ON.

NO ONE IS BEAMING BIGGER THAN SHE IS.

WE DID GET A