I started ski jumping when I was 9 years old and cross country skiing when I was 10. My home in Park City has a spectacular view of the ski jumps used during the 2002 Olympic Games, and everyday as a kid I could see the jumps. I decided to join the Park City Nordic Ski Club after just a few weeks of trying out the sport, and it has been a blur ever since.
Now, training takes up most of my time. Just this year, I qualified for the US National Team, which has been one of my biggest goals since I started the sport. However, now that I am on the US Ski Team, the work is not over. In my eyes, being on the national team is just another step on the ladder to success. Now I have access to more resources and more experience than I have ever had before, which makes me even more capable of reaching the top of my abilities.
In addition to being on the US National team, I am also a student at the Honors college at the University of Utah. After realizing that it would be impossible to do well as a full-time student and full-time athlete, I limited the number of classes I take because I want to give all of my focus on Nordic combined. In the wise words of Ron Swanson, "Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing". I am pursuing a degree in Geography. I am on this path because I am very passionate about preserving winter for future generations of athletes. A degree in geography can lead me on a path to be part of the fight against climate change and warm winters, and it is a great balance between skiing and science.
Life is hard no matter what. Trying to balance a college course load as well as a full-time training load is no easy task, but I hope that it will all pay off soon.
Now, training takes up most of my time. Just this year, I qualified for the US National Team, which has been one of my biggest goals since I started the sport. However, now that I am on the US Ski Team, the work is not over. In my eyes, being on the national team is just another step on the ladder to success. Now I have access to more resources and more experience than I have ever had before, which makes me even more capable of reaching the top of my abilities.
In addition to being on the US National team, I am also a student at the Honors college at the University of Utah. After realizing that it would be impossible to do well as a full-time student and full-time athlete, I limited the number of classes I take because I want to give all of my focus on Nordic combined. In the wise words of Ron Swanson, "Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing". I am pursuing a degree in Geography. I am on this path because I am very passionate about preserving winter for future generations of athletes. A degree in geography can lead me on a path to be part of the fight against climate change and warm winters, and it is a great balance between skiing and science.
Life is hard no matter what. Trying to balance a college course load as well as a full-time training load is no easy task, but I hope that it will all pay off soon.