Olympic Skier Receives Backlash, Defends Herself After Throwing Child to Snowbank

Olympic skier Julia Mancuso defends herself after receiving backlash from strangers after her post went viral. She said that no child was harmed in the making of the video.

The 36-year-old mom playfully threw her toddler son into a pile of snow. Mancuso quickly pulls out her child, Sonny, right after disappearing into the snow. She shared the video a month ago, which has gone viral.

No child was harmed

Alongside the clip, the retired Olympic skier added a disclaimer saying no children were harmed while making the video. She posted a long explanation about how she threw her 17-month-old into the snowbank.

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She wrote that there is no risk that her son would get buried in the snow because the event happened on their patio over the course of a day. She explained that they literally watched the snowfall, and Sonny loved it.

Mancuso said that they went for it after practicing. She said she believes it is not a good idea to throw your kid into snowbanks. However, since they do not get the same conditions every day and usually only get to enjoy the fluffiness the next day, she decided to give it a go.

Fans were not happy with what she did

Many of Mancuso's fans reacted negatively to the video she shared. Most of them believe that what she did was very risky. One wrote that what she did is horrible. The person said that a child, baby, or toddler is not a toy, so why would the mom think it is okay to throw them, more so post them on Instagram.

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The person also told the skier to educate herself by attending a child safety class because what she did was not entertaining. One fan was saddened by what Mancuso did, saying that her baby trusts, and then that is what she did. Some followers even accused Mancuso of abusing her child.

Nothing to worry about

However, Dr. David Hill, a North Carolina-based pediatrician, noted that there was absolutely nothing wrong with what Mancuso did. He told TODAY Parents that even though he could not see what was underneath the snow, he said that there is nothing to worry about the toddler's safety.

He explained that the child appears to be well clothed for the temperature. Apart from that, Mancuso appears to be attentive to the child's well-being and the environment.

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"Pediatrician in your Pocket" author and creator, Dr. Jen Trachtenberg, also agrees with Dr. Hill. She said that it looks like Sonny's parents know how deep the snow is and that it is safe to throw their child in it because there is nothing dangerous underneath the pile of snow.

She also added that the toddler looks engaged with his mom and seems very happy with the act.