Eileen Gu’s parents are Yan Gu (mother) and a father whose identity remains a mystery. Yan Gu is a Chinese woman who migrated to the United States to study before building a formidable career for herself in investment banking. Even though the identity of the father of her daughter is unknown, he is believed to be American, which is why Eileen is said to be of Chinese-American ancestry.
Eileen Gu’s parents, especially her mother, have always been supportive of the career of the Olympic gold medalist as she was the one who introduced her to the sports. The professional skier continues to make her parents proud as she was the youngest to ever win a gold medal in any Winter Olympics event by an American with Chinese Ancestry.
What To Know About Eileen Gu’s Mom
Eileen Gu’s mother is Yan Gu – a Chinese citizen who emigrated to the United States of America as a student in the 1980s. She obtained her first Bachelor of Engineering degree from Pecking University, Beijing, China, where she graduated from the Chemical Engineering department. She is reported to have also received her Master’s degree from the same University.
When she got to the United States of America, she enrolled at Auburn University, where she studied Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, before she again enrolled at Rockefeller University, New York, where she studied Molecular Genetics. She thereafter proceeded to Standard University, which required her to move to the San Francisco Bay Area.
While she was still a student, she was reported to have worked as a ski training coach and was a member of the short-track speed skating team. She was so much in love with these sports and had so much passion for them that she would later in her life introduce her daughter to the sport and give the world a champion athlete.
After completing all her studies, she is reported to have worked for some companies involved in Investment Banking, both in New York and California. She is also reported to have worked for a Chinese company called Fusion Investment as an expert in Private Investment.
She gave birth to her daughter Eileen Gu when she was 40 years old and decided to raise her as a single parent – with help from her mother. Details of why Eileen’s father was not present in their life from the beginning are not readily known to the public, but it is worth noting that she did a great job raising her daughter and setting her on a good course in her life.
Eileen Gu’s Grandmother Raised Her Alongside Her Mother
Eileen was raised in the same home as her mother, Yan Gu, by her maternal grandmother, Feng Guozhen. In order for her not to lose cognizance of her heritage, her mother and grandmother put a large canvas that had a view of the Golden Gate bridge in China in her bedroom as a reminder of one of the greatest landmarks of where they came from.
She attended a private school called K8 Katherine Delmar Burke School before she proceeded to San Francisco High School. She is reported to travel to Beijing, China, every Summer, where she is enrolled temporarily in a Cram School for Mathematics. These are some of the ways Eileen became grounded in her maternal heritage.
Yan Gu Introduced Her Daughter to The World of Skiing
While Yan Gu was still pursuing her Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) program in San Francisco, she enrolled her daughter Eileen Gu in skiing lessons at Lake Tahoe – probably as a means to keep her busy since it is a sport she is also passionate about. Eileen would later grant an interview stating that little did her mother know that she was creating a professional skier by her action.
She would end up spending most of her Summers in Beijing, China, where she would visit friends and relatives without fail. Just like her mother, she also decided to start a coaching camp in China, where she would conduct trampoline and skiing coaching camps for young Chinese children in her neighborhood.
Eileen was a team member of the United States of America at the 2018-19 FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup 2018. Sometime in 2019, while she was coaching a summer camp in Beijing, China, she recollected that they all gathered at a television set after the day’s session to hear the news that the rights to host the 2022 Winter Olympics event had been given to Beijing, China. So she made up her mind right there and then that she was going to compete for China going forward, starting from that year.
According to her, she is trying to use her passion for skiing to build bridges between the United States of America – her country of birth, and China – her mother’s country of birth – which she is currently representing.
Who is Eileen Gu’s Father?
There are lots of speculations about who Eileen Gu’s father could possibly be, but his identity has remained a closely guarded secret by Eileen Gu and her family. Ironically, when granting interviews, Eileen has refused point blank to answer any question concerning the identity of her father.
In fact, it has gotten to a point where people have speculated that the reason she is being adamant about speaking about her father is that she doesn’t know who he is. Her mother, on the other hand, is quite independent, and she has repeatedly revealed that she chose to be a single mom.
One of the most popular speculations in the media space is that Eileen Gu’s father could be Ray Sidney. Ray Sidney is believed to be a real estate tycoon who is in his fifties. It was stated that he posted a picture of himself and Eileen when she was 4 or 5 years old – an event that sent some sections of the media into investigative overdrive. Reports also suggested that when he was asked to confirm if he was indeed Eileen Gu’s biological father, his answer was a resounding Yes.
Despite all this, Eileen and her mother continue to keep mute about the identity of her father.
Is Eileen Gu’s Dad Harvard Educated?
According to reports that are available on the internet, it is believed that Eileen Gu’s father is an American that had his university education at Harvard University. This is the only “authentic” piece of information about Eileen Gu’s father that is readily available in the public space.
This is also the reason why some believe that Ray Sidney is her biological father since he is also a Harvard graduate.
Were Eileen Gu’s Parents Married?
From the information available in the public space, Eileen Gu’s parents were never married, as her mother has never been married to anyone. It is pertinent to point out that her mother is a very private person, and this has rubbed off on Eileen Gu. They have guarded jealously the identity of Eileen’s father over the years amongst several vital details.
Moreover, Yan Gu had Eileen when she was 40 years of age and chose to be a single parent. Details of her relationship and love life remain a mystery even to date.