What’s it like to have two grandchildren in the Winter Olympics? Let John Irving tell you

At 83, john irving is following two grandchildren at the Winter Olympics from a mix of Toronto and Vancouver engagements, sending long, grammatically precise messages of pride while relying on a tech-savvy aide to bring the competition to him. The unusual intersection of literary life and elite sport matters because it highlights how personal bonds and professional obligations collide when family members reach the global stage.

What happened and what’s new

Birk and Svea Irving, a brother-sister Olympic skiing duo, are competing in the freeski halfpipe at the Winter Games. Qualifying rounds for men’s and women’s freeski halfpipe began Thursday: Birk is scheduled to ride at 1: 30 a. m. local time in Vancouver and Svea at 10: 30 a. m. local time. The men’s finals are set for Friday and the women’s finals for Saturday. Svea Irving has advanced to the final; another U. S. halfpipe skier also advanced as part of the same field.

Their grandfather, John Irving, wrote an email from his home office in Toronto expressing congratulations, admiration and pride. He is 83, continues to write every day and published his 16th novel, Queen Esther, last year. Travel and health constraints — including asthma and concerns about a trip to high alpine venues — mean he will not attend the events in the Italian Alps. Instead, he will appear onstage in Vancouver as a featured speaker at a Jewish Book Festival while a personal assistant will stream the competition for him.

Behind the headline: John Irving's perspective

John Irving remains active in his craft and in family life. In his home office he fashions messages to his grandchildren that are elaborate and carefully constructed: long, spaced paragraphs with concrete nouns and spirited adjectives. He dresses informally for his work, favoring a flannel shirt, and struggles with the technology he relies on to stay connected.

He describes writing as an activity without an excuse to stop, and he maintains a daily practice. He once aspired to be an athlete at the highest level, with a long-ago dream of wrestling at the Olympic level; that earlier ambition now finds echo in his grandchildren’s pursuits. Because he cannot make the trip to the alpine venue, he will rely on a tech-savvy assistant named Finlay to locate a stream and keep him connected to what is happening in Livigno.

The family dynamic is straightforward: grandparents frequently occupy visible roles in Olympic storytelling, and Irving’s reflections emphasize astonishment and admiration for his grandchildren’s steady training and competitive drive. Birk previously made the Olympics in 2022 and finished fifth in the men’s final; if he reaches the final this year he will aim to improve on that placement.

What we still don’t know

• Whether John Irving will be able to view all of the events live given time zones and streaming availability.
• Whether Birk will qualify for the men’s final in the current competition.
• How Svea Irving and the other finalists will place in the women’s final beyond her advancement.
• The specifics of Irving’s speaking schedule in Vancouver and how it will align with the competition timetable.
• Any health developments that might alter Irving’s ability to travel or participate in festival events.

What happens next

• Birk qualifies for the men’s final and competes: triggers include his performance in the qualifying heat and the men’s final scheduled for Friday; a strong showing would present an opportunity to improve on his 2022 fifth-place finish.
• Svea competes in the women’s final: having advanced to the final, Svea’s placement in the Saturday final will determine her Olympic result and the family’s immediate celebratory response.
• Irving watches remotely while appearing in Vancouver: his assistant streams the events, allowing him to balance festival duties with following the competition in near real time.
• Travel or health changes: if circumstances permit, Irving could alter plans, but existing constraints tied to asthma and alpine travel make this unlikely without new information.

Why it matters

The story is a compact example of competing pressures that shape modern public life: a widely known literary figure navigating aging and health limits, the demands of ongoing creative work, and the intensely public moments of family achievement. For the athletes, the presence of an engaged grandparent who is both a cultural figure and an everyday family member underscores how personal histories intersect with elite sport.

Near-term implications are practical: family viewing arrangements, festival scheduling and the athletes’ performance outcomes will dictate immediate reactions and media narratives. Longer-term, the moment reinforces the human dimensions of high-level competition—how familial pride and logistical realities, such as streaming access and travel constraints, shape who is present at major events and how they experience them.

Next steps to watch

• Outcomes of the men’s and women’s freeski halfpipe finals later this week.
• Any adjustments to Irving’s public appearances tied to the competition timetable or his ability to follow the events in real time.
• Further public statements or correspondence from Irving that reflect his response to the final results.