This St. Mary's University School of Law student is a flipping Olympian
Law student Winter Vinecki is set to hit the slopes at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, which kicks off Friday.
Vinecki, an aerial skier, is a 3L at the St. Mary’s University School of Law’s online JD program. This is the second Olympics for the U.S. Ski Team member, having previously competed in the 2022 Beijing games, where she finished 15th in Women’s Aerials.
Her events are scheduled for Feb. 17 and 18, according to her website. Last month, Vinecki placed first at the World Cup competition in Canada after recovering from a cervical disc herniation last February.
In her undergraduate studies at the University of Utah, a business law class “was right up my alley,” she told the ABA Journal for an April 2025 cover story.
The course offered practical skills helpful for handling her real estate rental business and her sponsorship contracts, sparking her interest in law school. With the demands of training for an Olympic sport, the flexibility of an online law school works for her, she said.
“While pursuing her online JD with us and simultaneously preparing to compete in the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics, she demonstrates the discipline, resilience and commitment to service that define exceptional lawyers,” wrote Patricia Roberts, the dean of the St. Mary’s University School of Law, to the ABA Journal. “We will be cheering from San Antonio!”
After law school, Vinecki hopes to combine athletics and property management with law, she told the Journal in April 2025.
“Sports always will be a huge part of my life,” she said. “But I want to be able to have a career that I can help people solve problems.”
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