A gold medalist in Beijing admitted that she 'considered retirement' after massive wipeouts left her with brutal injuries

• American freestyle aerial skier Ashley Caldwell won a gold medal at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
• Before the games, she admitted that she had "considered retirement" after brutal falls and injuries.

Ashley Caldwell is an Olympic gold medalist.

The 28-year-old was a crucial member of Team USA's winning effort in the Mixed Team Aerials event at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

But before this winter's Olympic Games — and prior to winning the first Olympic hardware of her illustrious freestyle skiing career — Caldwell admitted that she had "considered retirement" due to the intense physical toll her sport takes on the body.

"I've definitely considered retirement before," Caldwell told Insider. "This sport is very demanding and scary."

Four years before she secured her first medal, the Virginia native suffered a terrifying wipeout during a practice run at her third Olympic Games at Pyeongchang 2018. Just two days before Caldwell's qualifying event, a gust of wind blew her out of the air and drove her hard into the ground.

Instead of landing on her skis, Caldwell smashed down on her shoulder. Her collarbone separated from the joint, and she needed surgery to repair the damage when she returned stateside. Still, just a few days later, she mustered the courage and strength to compete in South Korea.

"After my crash in South Korea, I was in a ton of pain," Caldwell said. "At the Olympics, you just forget the pain and focus on your performance."

"My shoulder wasn't able to do what I needed it to do, but I worked so hard to be competing at the Olympics I did everything to push through," she added.

She could've called it quits after those games. But her love of "overcoming the challenges and pushing myself through things I didn't think were possible" stoked Caldwell's itch to rehab her injury and get back on the slopes to compete once again.

"I still love what I do," Caldwell said. "And I will always be searching for ways to push myself."

But even when things are going right, jumping some 50 feet through the air and landing on two slabs of plastic strapped to her feet has a significant impact on Caldwell's body. Her legs and feet — and the joints connecting them — are often tired and sore after training or competing. And ski boots aren't exactly known for their comfort.

She's partnered with OOFOS, a recovery footwear brand that she swears by, to combat that pain and help aid her body's recovery.

"Training as hard as I do, it is necessary for my body to recover and think of the next edge that helps with recovery," Caldwell said. "OOFOS does exactly like that for me."

"The beauty of OOFOS and the authenticity of this partnership is that it really is just sliding them on," she added. "Wearing OOFOS has become part of my consistent routine."

And, of course, Caldwell had some of her favorite OOFOS sandals on hand in Beijing.

"I bring multiple pairs everywhere with me," she said. "They are a must-pack item for me."