Pro skier Matilda Rapaport was caught in an avalanche while working on a promotional video for an upcoming game from Ubisoft. The game, called Steep, is about a variety of extreme sports taking place on mountain slopes, from skiing and snowboarding to paragliding and wingsuit flying.
The avalanche happened last week near Farellones, in the Andes mountains of Chile. 30-year-old Matilda Rapaport was caught in the avalanche, and taken to a hospital. Unfortunately, she passed away from oxygen deprivation and brain damage.
Her sponsor, Red Bull made a statement to The Guardian, saying “Matilda was an extraordinary athlete, traveling the world to find her passion, ride steep terrain and share her bright smile.” Her death occurred almost two years after the avalanche deaths of two other extreme skiers, Jean-Philippe Auclair and Carl Andreas Fransson.
Her Instagram page has several pictures and one video uploaded about 5 days ago.
Ubisoft released a statement about the pro skier’s tragic incident as well. Via GameSpot,
“Matilda’s courage, passion, and desire to share the sport she loved with the world served as an inspiration for other athletes and for us all. This tragic accident has deeply touched us. Our hearts and prayers go out to her husband and her wider family at this difficult time.”
Rapaport was involved and featured in several skiing movies, such as Shades of Winter and Pure, as well as the upcoming Between.
Red Bull’s remembrance piece on Matilda Rapaport can be found here. Here’s a brief quote from Rapaport that Red Bull shared:
“What I really want when I’m skiing is to exceed […] my own expectations of what I’m capable of. I put a lot of pressure on myself – but I love reaching those goals, that’s what takes me forward.”
