Jesse Keefe

Quick Facts

• Specialty: Para Alpine Skiing (Standing) — LW4 Classification
• Born without an ankle bone in his right leg; underwent a foot amputation at 11 months old; began skiing at age two in Sun Valley, Idaho
• Won his first ski race at age three
• Parents: Krista Gehrke and Matt Keefe; has a sister Samantha Keefe
• Hobbies include mountain biking, camping and outdoor recreation

Biographical Information

Born without an ankle bone in his right leg, Jesse Keefe underwent a foot amputation at 11 months old. He was on skis by age two, growing up in Sun Valley, Idaho, a community built around mountains and the culture of skiing. By age three he had entered his first Kindercup race, which he won.

That result was a small early signal of something larger. At age seven, Keefe joined the Sun Valley Ski Education race team and began training in earnest. The LW4 classification, which covers standing athletes with below-knee amputation who compete on two skis, became his category, and Sun Valley's demanding terrain became his proving ground. He competed through the junior ranks with the kind of technical feel and natural aggression that coaches recognize as the foundation for elite performance.

Jesse found a sense of community and belonging when he began attending Shriners Children's Salt Lake City's Un-Limb-ited Camp. It was here that he was introduced to the National Ability Center's Alpine ski team.

The 2021 U.S. national championships were his breakthrough on the national stage. Competing in Winter Park, Colorado, Keefe won both giant slalom and slalom in his class and placed third in super-G. He joined the U.S. Para Alpine Ski Team and made his Paralympic debut at the Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, where he finished ninth in slalom along with 15th in both giant slalom and super combined in the men's standing division. He also competed in downhill, demonstrating a range across disciplines. 

Keefe continued to develop at the world championship level, competing at the FIS Para Alpine Skiing World Championships across multiple years. At the 2025 world championships, he posted his best finishes up to that point in giant slalom and slalom. Outside racing, he mountain bikes, camps and finds any reason to be in the terrain that has shaped.

Paralympic Experience

• 2-time Paralympian
• Paralympic Games Milan 2026, 10th (Downhill - Standing - Men), 14th (Super-G - Standing - Men)
• Paralympic Games Beijing 2022, 9th (Slalom - Standing - Men), 15th (Giant Slalom - Standing - Men, Super Combined - Standing - Men), 22th (Downhill - Standing - Men)

World Championships Experience

• Most recent: 2025 – (Giant Slalom - Standing - Men, Slalom - Standing - Men)
• Years of participation: Giant Slalom - Standing - Men 2022, 2023, 2025; Slalom - Standing - Men 2022, 2023, 2025; Downhill - Standing - Men 2022, 2023; Super Combined - Standing - Men 2022, 2023; Super-G - Standing - Men 2022, 2023
• Top finish: – 2022 (Slalom - Standing - Men), 2025 (Giant Slalom - Standing - Men), 2025 (Slalom - Standing - Men)