Diné Olympic chef: Virgil Weil’s journey to the Olympic Games

By Robert Bettis
Navajo Times

WINDOW ROCK – In a venue where Indigenous voices are often underrepresented, Virgil Weil is carving a path not only for himself but for others who aspire to cook up a future for themselves in the culinary arts.

Weil is Kiyaa’áanii and Bilagáana and born for Odawa. He is the son of Julie A. Weil of Colorado Springs, Colorado.

As a sous chef at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Weil’s journey to the 2024 Olympic Games is only the beginning of a bright future full of five-star accomplishments.

Born in Marquette, Michigan, and an enrolled member of the Grand Traverse Odawa Tribe, Virgil’s story starts with humble beginnings.

Raised by a single mother, Weil entered the workforce at the age of 14, taking on a job as a grill cook and cashier at a local bowling alley to help support his family. His mother, Julie Weil, a victim of work-related chemical poisoning, faced significant economic challenges, so Virgil stepped up to support them financially.

“Virgil’s compassion, traditional teachings, and loyalty is keeping him home to look after me,” Julie, his proud mother, said. “But he has a dream of being an entrepreneur of his Indigenous eatery.”

Julie, whose clans are Kiyaa’áanii and Bilagáana and born for Tódích’íi’nii, grew up in Colorado Springs and the Bisti Badlands near Crownpoint. She is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation.

At just 24, Virgil earned a role on the nutritional team for Team USA during the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Since then, his career has soared. Today, at 32 years old, he has already had the honor of cooking for some of the world’s most celebrated athletes, including Michael Phelps, Lolo Jones, and Simone Biles.

“It’s a great experience,” said Virgil. “Working in different restaurants and kitchens you don’t really get to see where your food is going but working with these athletes is great because we are a part of their lives and a part of their success.”

Team USA’s culinary team

For the 2024 Paralympic Games, which took place Aug. 28-Sept. 8, in Paris, France, Weil has been a key member of Team USA’s culinary team—a historic first, as this was the first time the U.S. Paralympic athletes have had an open kitchen and servery at the games.

This achievement holds special significance as Weil is believed to be the first and only enrolled Indigenous sous chef at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center and the first to travel to the Olympics. His mother proudly notes, “There have only been two Indigenous people to secure their own Olympic immortality—the great Jim Thorpe in 1912 and now, my son Virgil Weil in 2024.”

Despite his many accomplishments, Weil remains grounded. His dream is to open his own Indigenous eatery, but for now, he continues to support his family, carrying on the values instilled in him from a young age.

As the culinary world takes note of Indigenous chefs and entrepreneurs rising to prominence, Weil stands as a beacon of hope and inspiration—not just for his family but for all Indigenous people aspiring to break barriers in the food industry and beyond.

---