Two-Time Olympic Bronze Medalists, Competitive Ice Dancers
Alex & Maia Shibutani: Biography at a Glance
- Two-time Olympic medalists and trailblazers in their sport, Alex and Maia speak to excellence, teamwork, and breaking barriers as the first ice dancers of Asian descent to win an Olympic medal.
- As siblings and long-time collaborators, they offer unique insights into communication, trust, and navigating high-performance environments as a team.
- Through their work as U.S. State Department Sports Envoys, they bring a global perspective on cultural diplomacy, youth empowerment, and the power of sports to build connections.
- With a published book series, Alex and Maia explore how storytelling, creativity, and authenticity can deepen impact and reach beyond traditional platforms.
- Passionate about representation and identity, they speak candidly about their experiences as Asian American athletes, using their platform to advocate for inclusion and visibility in sports and media.
Biography
Maia and Alex Shibutani are two-time Olympic Bronze Medalists, three-time World Medalists, Four Continents Champions, and two-time U.S. National Champions. At the 2018 Winter Olympics, they became the first ice dancers of Asian descent to medal at the Olympics and are only the second sibling duo in the history of the sport to win an Ice Dance medal.
Off the ice, Maia and Alex, also known as the ShibSibs, are active ambassadors and supporters for various organizations. As Sports Envoys for the U.S. State Department, they have traveled to Japan, Korea, and Singapore, connecting with young people at cultural and goodwill events.
Their ability to share their journey, tell stories, and communicate with people around the world has built them a passionate and loyal community of fans and supporters.
Maia and Alex launched their new middle grade book series – Kudo Kids. The first book is titled “Kudo Kids: The Mystery of the Masked Medalist” and is the first of many stories they want to tell off the ice.
Their ShibSibs YouTube channel which has received over 11 million views.
Topics
The Power of Collaboration Under Pressure
As Olympic medalists and longtime creative partners, Alex and Maia have spent years refining their ability to communicate, adapt, and succeed as a team in high-stakes environments. In this engaging and insightful talk, the ShibSibs share how collaboration has been the foundation of their success—from the ice rink to the writing room. They reflect on the unique challenges and rewards of working together as siblings, the tools they use to navigate conflict and stay aligned, and how those same principles have shaped their journey as co-authors of the Kudo Kids book series. Alex and Maia offer practical takeaways and inspiring perspectives on what it means to create, and thrive, together.
