STORY
Petra literally grew up on skis
Fun turned into passion and passion into career.
CHILDHOOD
Petra literally grew up on skis. Each winter Vlha family opened their buffets on the slopes of two ski resorts, and, naturally, they took their kids with them. Petra and her brother spent all days of slopes and it was Petra indeed who was leaving the ski course as the last one. At that time, skiing was only fun for Petra. But eventually fun turned into passion and passion into the career.
When Petra was less than three years old, her parents bought her her first skis. At first she was trying them at home, in the living room, but eventually found courage to change the carpet for snow.
At almost five years of age, she joined her first ski club in Liptovský Mikuláš, in neighbourhood Podbreziny, where Vlha family lived at that time.
*1995
2012
THE FIRST WORLD CUP START
For Petra, the year 2012 was groundbreaking. At first, in January she won in slalom at the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Innsbruck. She continued with the bronze medal in slalom at the Junior World Championships in Roccaraso. And at the year-end she got to the most important milestone of her career so far, when on 29th December 2012 at the age of 17 in Semmering, she stood at the start of the slalom race in the World Cup for the very first time.
At YOG in Innsbruck, Petra was the number one of the Slovak team, and she secured her gold medal after two unpopular fourth places.
At her premier start in the World cup with BIB 39, Petra immediately scored her first points when she achieved fantastic 11th place.
A GOLD FROM JASNÁ
At the age of 18, Petra attended her first Winter Olympic Games 2014 in Sochi. It didn't bring her any medal, but a valuable experience. She definitely got the attention of Slovak fans by a different success on a home slope.
In February 2014 in Jasná, Petra won a title of the Junior World Champion in slalom.
2014
2015
THE FIRST VICTORY IN BELOVED ÅRE
After two seasons in which Petra wasn't able to score any world cup points , finally on 13th December 2015 she got her first slalom win in Swedish Åre. This initiated the chain of great results which continued for many years.
In Petra's career, Åre figures as one of the most successful venues that brought her multiple victories and medals.
SILVER ST.MORITZ AND GOLDEN REINDEER IGOR
Year 2017 brought the first medal from the World Championships, taking place in St. Moritz. It was a silver in team parallel that Petra won together with Veronika Zuzulová, Andreas Žampa and Matej Falát. In Finnish Levi, Petra also started her herd, when she won the slalom race and for that she was given her first reindeer.
The reindeer was named Igor, after Petra's dad, and lives on a farm in Ounaskievari, not far from Levi.
In March 2017, Peťa took her first career victory in the World cup Finals, when she won in the last slalom of the season in Aspen, USA.
2017
2018
AMONGST THE BEST
ALSO IN GIANT SLALOM
Petra attended her second Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang as one of the favorites, unfortunately it didn't bring her the medal. However, her improving form also in the giant slalom resulted in the first GS win in December 2018 in Semmering, with loud support of Slovak fans.
Petra's GS win was even more impressive, since up until this moment her best GS result was 7th place.
In 2018, the official fan club was established, after agreement with Igor Vlha, by its (currently long-term) president Miro Ledecký.
WE HAVE A WORLD CHAMPION!!!
Petra's amazing GS form continued, and besides few more GS world cup victories, in February 2019 in her favorite Åre, she reached the title of the GS World Champion. In addition to this gold, she also won silver in alpine combined and bronze in slalom.
Åre became he place which, after her first world cup victory ever, also brough Petra complete set of world championships medals.
Before the World Championships, for the first time in her career, Petra won popular night slalom in Flachau, Austria, and gained her first Snow princess trophy.
2019
2019/2020
A SMALL GLOBE?
HOW ABOUT TWO OF THEM?
For Petra, season 2019/2020 was fantastic. Penultimate races in Åre, as well as finals, both to be held in March 2020, were cancelled due to developing pandemics. Peťa therefore lost the opportunity to fight for the big crystal globe for this season, however she took her first two small crystal globes for slalom and parallel slalom.
As the final races didn't take place, champions also lost their victory ceremonies. Petra's first globes were delivered to her by mail.
In early January, Petra was crowned as a Snow Queen, winning the legendary slalom in Zagreb, and she took home her first (but not last) beautiful glass crown. Few days later she continued in her winning streak, she won the night slalom in Flachau again, and gained another Snow princess trophy.
THE BEST OF THE BEST
In season 2020/2021 Petra really reached the bottom of her strength, when she competed in all 31 races, won the title of FIS Ski World Cup Overall champion and took home the most precious and valuable ski trophy - big crystal globe.
In this season Petra achieved her highest score of 1,416 points. After first five races, she was leading with unbelievable balance of 460 points out of 500 possible, when she won three races and scored the third place in another two.
In this season Petra achieved double victory for the very first time, when she won both slaloms in Levi, Finland, and her herd was joined by two more reindeers - Pepi and Lujza.
In Zagreb Petra confirmed her last year's victory and for the second time in the row, she gained the title and the Snow Queen trophy.
2020/2021
2021/2022
SEASON LIKE A DREAM
In her best season 2021/2022 with new coach Mauro Pini, Petra was absolutely dominant in slalom and she clinged her next small crystal globe in advance in mid January. Encouraged by this success, she travelled to her third Winter Olympics to Beijing, as a clear favorite for a medal. First run of slalom didn't go great and Petra was in the 8th position. However, thanks to the huge team support and her own mental strength, she did fantastic second run, followed by endless waiting in the finish area, for her rivals and their runs. None of them was able to beat Petra's time and despite adverse situation after run 1, in the end, Petra, with eyes full of tears, got her Olympic gold medal that she always dreamt of.
Peťa repeated previous year's victorious double and was again able to triumph in both slaloms in Levi. For these she got 200 points and two more reindeers - Boris and Michal.
In Zagreb, Peťa reached the hattrick and got the third glass crown for a Snow Queen in a row.
In this season, Peťa was really unstoppable in slalom, she won 5 out of 9 races and her worst result was one fourth place.
IT'S NOT THAT EASY
After previous season, full of big victories and even bigger emotions, Peťa was dealing with the exhaustion, loss of motivation and fighting with herself. Despite all that, she was able to reach nine podiums, out of which two were on the top. March full-stop was positive, when Petra won the last slalom of the season in Andorra and at the same time she got the medals for the third place in Slalom season ranking and in the World cup overall ranking too.
Petra had to wait unusually long time for the first season win, but eventually in January 2023 she won a prestige night slalom in Flachau. Joy, that the third Snow princess trophy brought, was enormous, and there was a lot of tears, not only by Peta and her team, but also on the faces of the thousands of Slovak fans that came to support Petra and created her fantastic and very loud scenery.
2022/2023
2023/2024
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED
Season 2023/2024 looked amazing. Petra was in fantastic shape, which she confirmed by amazing performance in the season-opening GS in Sölden, and also by very dominant victory in Levi. In December 2023 she added a win under the lights in rainy Courchevel, followed by another slalom triumph in Kranjska Gora, in front of loud Slovak crowd. People in Slovakia were expecting the great sports celebration - World cup in Jasná. Crowd was roaring, when on the icy slope Petra only managed to ski eight gates, followed by ugly fall, after which the time in Jasná stopped for a while.
In Levi, Petra won by 1.41 second margin and got a beautiful white baby reindeer. Sixth addition to her herd was named after her mum Zuzka.
Serious knee injury, two surgeries, endless physiotherapies... Petra had to skip not only remainder of the 2023/2024 season, but also full season 2024/2025. Currently she's doing everything she can to return to the start of the World cup, and all she needs from her fans is patience and support.
SEE PETRA'S STORY THROUGH THE LENSE
