Grande Matt: SA skier is turning values into a different kind of Olympic gold

Over the past three years South African cross-country skier Matt Smith has collected a number of nicknames, with “The Snowbok” and the “ski-fluencer” the most popular.

In the two weeks since arriving in Italy for the 2026 Winter Olympics Smith has added another to the list: “Grande Matt”.

The term of endearment is a testament to how a skier representing a country not traditionally associated with snowsports has captured the hearts of the Italian public – and he has done it through social media.

Since he arrived in Italy, Smith has not stopped posting content, and in one week more than doubled his following on Instagram.

Under a video of Smith exploring the tiny Italian town of Predazzo, where one of the Olympic villages is situated and where he is staying, messages of appreciation and welcome flooded the comments section. One follower called him an “Italian hero”.

Watch: Matt Smith exploring Predazzo

The village tourism board and its mayor have even contacted Smith with an invitation to attend the local parade and officially open the event.

“I’ve taken the opportunity to showcase our nation as friendly, inquisitive, open people,” Smith told Daily Maverick from the Olympic Village.

“Every volunteer I walk past I stop and talk to, and to the people who are cleaning my room. And so, treating people with respect and simply with a smile is currency.”

Gold medals off the course

Matt began his cross-country skiing journey just three years ago when he swapped sunny South Africa for the winter wonderland of Norway. He went from knowing virtually nothing about the sport to qualifying for the Winter Olympics in only two years.

While Smith attacks the slopes with everything he has, realistically he is not a medal contender. Aware of that, he began thinking about other ways he could contribute to his sport.

That includes representation by putting South Africa on the map and showing the world, and other non-skiing nations, that they too belong in winter sport.

Watch: Cafeteria makes Matt Smith an SA flag pizza

“Everyone is representing their country; by representing yourself, you represent your country. So, I’m just doing the best job I can to leave everyone here touched by South Africa, not Matt Smith,” he said.

“Whatever happens, I’m likely to come in the bottom four of the race, but where I can leave here having won a gold medal for South Africa is in people’s impressions of South Africa.”

Social media and brand values

Unlike summer sports and major summer-sport names in South Africa, such as Akani Simbine and Tatjana Smith, who have brand value, according to Smith, “in winter sports, we don’t have any brand value because people don’t know about us as a nation”.

Before his cross-country skiing exploits Smith was an entrepreneur who built and sold a successful tech business. He also worked in media and is currently a motivational speaker.

Watch: Matt’s tribute to unsung heroes of the Olympics

According to Smith, he has always inhabited three brand values – to “entertain, educate and inspire”. So, when he began his skiing journey, it was a natural response to lean into those values and skills to contribute to the sport outside the racecourse.

“It’s not just about winning a gold medal on the course; it’s also about winning a gold medal off the course. While I’m going to try everything to do that on the course, the reality is I’m also focusing on winning a gold medal off the course.”

On Instagram, in particular, Smith’s content ranges from explainer videos, such as breaking down the different types of skis, to entertaining clips, like his hunt for pins in the Olympic Village.

He also spotlights the often unseen hard work required of athletes from non-skiing nations to compete, and the value they bring in growing the sport beyond its traditional northern strongholds.

Eventually, Smith’s exploits earned him a contract from a professional club, Team Aker Dæhlie, in 2025.

“I’m the first non-regular World Cup starting athlete to be signed by a World Cup team. They signed me simply because of the way I am outside of the course, not because I’m on the course,” he said.

“[My brand values] existed before I was in the skiing world, so I’ve just carried on being me. What I’ve realised is I can add value into the sports and I’m being pragmatic about it.

“It’s very unlikely that I’m going to contribute to the sport by winning races, but I’m good with the camera, I know how to do this, so maybe I can bring that into the sport and just encourage others to do it as well.” DM