At 19, Alisa Camplin-Warner had never worn skis. A new documentary shines a different light on her unthinkable Olympic gold
Just eight years prior to winning Olympic gold as an aerial skier at Salt Lake City in 2002, Alisa Camplin-Warner was watching on TV the Winter Games of 1994 when it dawned on her that a career on the slopes could be an option.
Until that point, the recently graduated Melbourne schoolgirl, 19 at the time, had never skied.
She had never even seen snow, barring the snow being carved up by Aussie skiing trailblazer Kirstie Marshall on TV at the 1994 Olympics.
READ MORE: The moment that pried a smile out of 'the Ice Queen'
READ MORE: Green blows up over rival's bowling action in 90-run loss
READ MORE: Sabalenka explains 'hysterical' reaction to Aus Open heartbreak
Camplin, Australia's chef de mission for the Milano-Cortina Games, reflects on her improbable rise from skiing latecomer to Olympic gold medallist, and her Crocodile Dundee-like training, in a documentary set to air on Channel 9 and 9Now on Monday night.
The documentary, Forging Champions, tells the Australian Institute of Sport's story through archival footage — a lot of it unseen — and interviews with sportspeople whose legendary careers were shaped by the institute: Anna Meares, Petria Thomas, Cadel Evans, Robert de Castella, James Tomkins, Camplin and many more.
Alisa Camplin-Warner speaking on the documentary Forging Champions. Nine
"I really was a bit of a guinea pig coming in, having never seen snow and trying to convince people that someone that's never skied could actually be successful in the sport," Camplin says in Forging Champions.
Her first love was athletics. When it was announced in 1993 that Sydney had won its bid to host the 2000 Summer Olympics, her dream was to run the marathon.
She was also a keen gymnast in her youth. Her aerial ability on the mats and trampolines were key to her switch to skiing.
She watched with wide eyes as Marshall soared through the air at the 1994 Olympics, then got in touch with Australia's ski federation.
Soon after, she was flipping, spinning and twirling on a trampoline at an aerial skiing talent-spotting day in Melbourne.
The scouts liked what they saw.
Watch the documentary Forging Champions live and free on Channel 9 and 9Now from 9.30pm AEDT on Monday.
Alisa Camplin celebrates winning gold in aerial skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City. Getty
"In some ways, I suppose I talent-transferred myself," Camplin says, recalling the venture that followed.
Nowadays, Australia's aerial skiers have a giant airbag to catch them at the National Snowsports Training Centre in Jindabyne, or the Geoff Henke Olympic Winter Training Centre in Brisbane where they can launch themselves off a water jump and land in a pool. Both are plush state-of-the-art facilities.
When Camplin was learning her craft, and even in her successful quest to win Olympic gold, her landing was a filthy dam in Wandin North, just out of Melbourne.
A training facility for all of Australia's aerial skiers many moons ago, it was full of fish, leeches and frogs.
"We did it tough," Camplin recalls with a chuckle.
"But in a way it felt really Australian. It felt a bit Crocodile Dundee. Hardcore."
Alisa Camplin beaming with pride on the top step of the podium at Salt Lake City. Getty
One bit of archival footage in the documentary shows her wading out of the dam after completing a jump.
"Can you imagine the US ski team training in this?" she says, scooping sludge out of a forest of weeds.
"It wouldn't happen," she laughs.
Watch the Winter Olympic Games Milano Cortina 2026 live and free on Channel 9 and 9Now. Plus, every event live & on demand, every medal in 4K, and exclusive international coverage on Stan Sport.
Yet at Salt Lake City in 2002, she pulled off two triple-twisting double somersaults to clinch Olympic gold.
"Satisfying in every way," she recalls, remembering her golden final run.
"For me, it's like when people say they hit the perfect golf shot.
"I'm so grateful that I've just got something in my life that I did so well, and I had this opportunity to be so excellent at something I was passionate about.
"I was in the Australian sports system my whole life. I'm so grateful that I'm in this country and that there was a system like that which could help me achieve my dream.
"I'm still overwhelmed, to be honest. I'm pretty lucky."
