A Hollywood fairytale from Warth-Schröcken.
A village full of Olympic champions.
Sometimes sport writes the most beautiful stories - and sometimes they come from the smallest of villages. Warth-Schröcken in Vorarlberg, a snow-covered gem with just 175 inhabitants, is one such place. Hard to believe that this quiet village has produced three Olympians - each a champion in their own way, each story a little fairytale.
Johannes Strolz: The Unexpected Hero of Beijing.
It was one of the most emotional moments of the 2022 Winter Olympics - Austria held its breath as Johannes Strolz raced down the slopes in Beijing. The son of Olympic champion Hubert Strolz (Calgary 1988) had always been seen as a talent, but at 29, few expected a breakthrough. Then the incredible happened.
In Beijing, Johannes celebrated his personal triumph: gold in the combined event, silver in the slalom, and another gold in the team competition. The nation cheered, the social media community celebrated him under the hashtag #proudofstrolz, and Warth was bursting with pride.
His path was far from easy: World Cup debut in 2013, first points in 2018, top-ten finishes only in 2020 - and finally, exclusion from the Austrian Ski Federation (ÖSV) squad in 2021. Yet Johannes didn’t give up. He continued training at his own expense, sharpened his ski edges himself, waxed his bases, and worked as his own service technician - supported by his father Hubert.
Then, in January 2022, the breakthrough: starting with bib number 38, he sensationally won his first World Cup race in Adelboden and secured his ticket to the Olympics. A family fairytale, 34 years after his father Hubert’s triumph.
“It’s incredible that we both could achieve this. It’s simply wonderful when sport writes such stories,” said Hubert Strolz proudly.
Hubert Strolz: The Trailblazer.
Like father, like son!
Today he lives a quiet life in his home village of Warth, where he and his wife Birgit run the Haus Hubertus. Birgit looks after the guests, while Hubert pursues his second passion: farming. Between the barn and the fields, he embraces simple village life, but remains closely connected to skiing. As an experienced instructor at the local Warth ski school, he shares his expertise and love for the sport with the youngest skiers. Many talents owe their first steps on skis to him, keeping him at the heart of the Strolz ski family - a blend of experience, love for the sport, and family tradition, now continuing brilliantly in his son Johannes.
Wiltrud Drexel: The Pioneer.
But that was not all: in 1968/69, she won the downhill World Cup - demonstrating her extraordinary talent on the international stage early on. Overall, she reached 22 World Cup podiums, including five victories in downhill - proving consistency, courage, and speed over many years. She also impressed at World Championships - earning a bronze medal in the downhill in 1974.
Today, Wiltrud Drexel still lives in Warth, in the heart of the village, running a guesthouse. Anyone visiting her can still feel the passion that drove her on the slopes. For the young generation of skiers in Warth-Schröcken, she remains a living role model - a symbol that greatness can emerge even from the smallest of villages.
Warth-Schröcken: An Olympic Village.
Three Olympians from one village - that is not only impressive, but almost unbelievable. The region offers ideal conditions for winter sports: 85 lifts, 300 kilometres of pistes, snow-sure well into the season, set in the breathtaking landscape of the Arlberg. It’s no wonder that talents like Johannes Strolz, Hubert Strolz, and Wiltrud Drexel were able to thrive here.
Warth-Schröcken is not just a snow-covered village in the heart of Vorarlberg - it is a place where dreams on skis come true and where Olympic stories are written.