Giuliano Fux comes to our office for the interview – he lives just a few minutes away from the Tourist Office and grew up in St. Niklaus and Grächen. At the moment, however, he is travelling a lot and has been skiing halfway around the world. He has just returned from Argentina, where he won first place in the slalom twice in the U21 category.
Giuliano is 20 years old, lives with his parents and two siblings, and successfully completed an apprenticeship with his father as a tiler last summer. However, he currently has limited time to work in the family business: since last year, Giuliano has had squad status and is a member of the Swiss Ski Team's C squad.
With the ski slope right on his doorstep, he was already on skis at a young age. He grew up in a family of snow enthusiasts, has been skiing with the Grächen Ski Club since he was three years old and was a junior athlete at the National Performance Centre (NLZ) in Brig. This enabled him to join the Swiss Ski squad, marking a milestone in his future skiing career.
Giuliano has a goal in mind: since this year, he has been competing with the Alpine European Cup team, alongside his fellow athletes from the B squad. His disciplines are slalom and giant slalom – and if time allows, he also wants to score points in super-G.
He is currently by far the youngest skier, with his teammates all having several years more experience. The Grächen native sees this as an advantage: ‘I can learn a lot from them. We have a very friendly relationship, the exchange is important and I receive a lot of support. We are happy for each other's successes.’ He sees room for improvement, particularly in terms of fitness: ‘Physically, I still have some catching up to do.’
Giuliano also greatly appreciates the close support he receives from experts, whether technical, mental or for optimal physical preparation.
The intensive training during the summer, including training camps in Tenero, and the preparations over the last few weeks on the snow in Zermatt, Saas-Fee, Belgium and Argentina are paying off: ‘I feel very well prepared. Two years ago, I had to deal with a slipped disc, but we got that under control really well. I'm ready.’
The season kicks off in the north at the beginning of November, when Giuliano will be fighting for promotion to the B squad. He will only succeed if he puts all his eggs in one basket. He is confident and eagerly awaiting the winter season with great motivation. One highlight for him is the 2026 Alpine Skiing Junior World Championships in Narvik, Norway.
Goal-oriented, motivated and with a little bit of luck, Giuliano wants to prove himself in the national ski team with these qualities. He is not nervous before the races: ‘As soon as I fasten the buckles on my ski boots, I focus on the upcoming competition.’
After the season, Giuliano's exciting journey continues: from mid-April, he will be doing his military service and completing 18 weeks of military training for athletes in Magglingen. This is a privilege, as only 70 out of 210 athletes were accepted.
Although Giuliano's winter calendar is filled with ski races, he regularly returns to the Grächen ski resort. Over Christmas and New Year, he can be found on the slopes between Seetal, Hannigalp and Bärgji. He enjoys a few days with family and friends and takes part in the New Year's Eve race when time allows.
The 20-year-old's strong ties to the Upper Valais are also evident in his latest nomination for the Valais Sports Award 2025 as a young athlete. Voting is underway, and the decision will be made on 14 November at the Zeughaus Kultur in Glis.
The Grächen & St. Niklaus Tourism & Trade Association is keeping its fingers crossed for Giuliano in the Valais Sports Awards. We wish him all the best for the upcoming season, good health and every success, and are delighted to be able to support him as a sponsor.
