You can never say there is a dull moment when the bubbly and vivacious American is around. The 2006 Olympic Giant Slalom gold medal winner has been on a stellar rise through the ranks since slipping on her first set of skies at a mere two-years-old, setting records and pulling down the plaudits at an impressive rate.

'Super Jules' as she was once coined after her coach presented her with a tiara for good luck, made her breakthrough to the professional ranks on November 21, 1999 when she made her World Cup debut at 15 years and eight months to become the youngest American to start a race since 1991.

She was an Olympian by the age of 17 when she competed in the 2002 winter games and while those early days on the World Cup circuit provided invaluable experience she continued to dominate the standing in the juniors.

Her eight medals, including five gold, in 2002, 2003, and 2004, at that level are both U.S. records.

However, the seniors were soon sitting up and taking notice after the breakthrough moment which came in 2005 at the World Championships in Bormio, Italy where she gained a bronze medal in the Super-G and slalom.

As the only American to win a medal, a new star was born and two further top-ten finishes kept her at the forefront before she truly earned her stars and stripes on that snowy and foggy afternoon in Turin.

Again, it was another record-busting achievement as no U.S. women had won an Alpine gold since 1998 as she hurled down the course in near white-out conditions.

Having never stood on top of the podium in the World Cup, it was one of those "out of the blue" victories that only the Olympic Games can generate, and catapulted Julia into the rarefied atmosphere of the celebrity circus, photographed alongside the likes of Hollywood actor Matthew McConaughey and seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong.

However, there is more to her character than merely being a media darling, friend of the stars and fan icon.

Although born in Reno, Nevada, she grew up at Lake Tahoe, California and possessing a relaxed, laid-back exterior only helps to magnify her intense will to win and competitive edge under pressure.

Finishing 2006 in eighth spot, overall, in the World Cup, which included three podium finishes, an ongoing hip problem required surgery but finally after getting back to full fitness and overcoming a slow start to 2007, that top step on the podium became a reality.

Val d'Isère will go down in the record books as the venue for that World Cup debut win and another moment to celebrate as she took first in the downhill and then second the following day in the same event, on the steep and testing La Daille.

With the breakthrough complete, she then added three more wins during the season, including the Super-G and combined as well as a further downhill.

A silver medal followed at the 2007 World Championships in Are, Sweden, this time in the super combined.

Pushing all the way at Tarvisio, Italy, the overall 2007 title was on the line as she landed a win in the downhill, second in the super combined and third in the Super-G although in the end she had to settle for third overall and second place in the discipline standings in both downhill and combined.

She likes nothing more than the challenge and it would seem the steeper the better.

Very few challenges come more precipitous than reaching the near 6,000-metre summit of Africa's highest mountain, Mt. Kilimanjaro.

The climb was carried out with friends Lauren Ross of the U.S. Ski Team and Great Britain's Chemmy Alcott to raise proceeds and awareness for an athlete-driven international humanitarian organization, "Right to Play", which aims to provide children in underdeveloped communities with the opportunity to take part in sport.

After such a life-affirming experience, the action-girl was winging off to Summer Olympic Games in Beijing to work as a reporter-presenter for the NBC network where she hosted "Julia's Must List".

Already the face of the of Lange Boot, her calendar shoots adorning many a bedroom wall, landing cover spreads on Rolling Stone and ESPN magazines, she still finds time within her hectic training and racing routine to follow her other passions of surfing and kite-surfing.

As he once commented in typically feisty manner: "You can be feminine and fast."

The independent-minded and super talented Julia has certainly nestled herself into the heart of skiing community and the public at large and the feeling is that Julia is set to make an even greater impact in the sport.