Growing up in colorful Colorado, I have been provided with marvelous opportunities just outside my front door. I am an avid skier and hiker, as I venture my way to the high country whenever I can. Recently my Father and I completed our 30th consecutive month of skiing. This trip taught me the satisfaction and sense of purpose included in being something larger than oneself. In addition, I enjoy hiking 14ers in the summer and playing ice hockey year round. During the past two summers, I traveled to Europe with a group known as People top People who allowed me to visit lavish new cities while participating in community service. I developed a love for every city I visited but more importantly, obtained and of the cities culture and traditions.
During ski season, I spend an average of 22 hours a week with my teams. The sport of ski racing has taken up a huge part of my life, and thus has affected my life in innumerable ways. I have been skiing since I was four years old, but started racing in 7th grade. My freshman year, I quickly realized that hard work was necessary to get what I wanted. I had to choose between skiing on both teams, my grades, and other activities if I was going to pursue them with the dedication with which I wanted. It really wasn’t a choice to me. I chose a hard course load and skiing over a number of other activities that I could have pursued. Staying involved while maintaining my 3.78 GPA has taught me a lot about time management and leadership, and has
Elizabeth looked down the ski slope. It seemed steeper from the top than it did from the bottom. She should have stayed on the bunny slope with the beginers but her brother laughed at her. Elizabeth knew that if she didn't go down the slope, her brother would tease her more. She tipped her skis and started down the hill. She tried to remember how to stop as the trees on the side of the slope went by faster and faster. There was a Mogul, a little hill in the middle of the ski slope, and when Elizabeth went over it, her skis left the snow. She was in mid-air. What if she broke her leg? Her skis hit the snow with a thud. She leaned left and she leaned right. She couldn't believe she was still upright. Elizabeth closed her eyes. When she opened
One skill I possess is the ability to snowboard., I have a lot more confidence in my ability to glide down a mountain now because of past failures and fears that I have had to overcome. One example of a fear I have had to overcome is the fear of catching an edge on my board. This fear of an unknown flip caused me to become a really cautious snowboarder. It took me until this year to really start becoming more of an adventurous snowboarder. This included me starting to actually start going for jumps and tricks in the terrain park, which came with a lot of injuries. I also Another thing I started doing differently was changeding up how I went down the mountain. Before I would find myself going slowly making my way to the bottom making sure I
Over the past sixteen years I’ve watched my daughter grow into a beautiful young adult. In middle was the start of her field hockey career that she has still played into her sophomore year and years to come. She is on the high school ski team and has learned how to become a ski racer. It was and still is a challenged because her first year ever to ski race was as freshmen year. Every sport she plays she puts her all into and is persistent. Every year my daughter grows and shows me how capable and trustworthy she is. I trust my daughter and I know that she will make good decisions while driving out on the road and in general.
My love for ice skating started when I was 4 years old because I wasn't old enough to stay home I had to see my older sister would go to basic and I would see her fly around like a monkey. I thought it looked like a lot of fun so I asked my Mom “Can I start to ice skate?” she said yes and that's where it all began.
Beep! Beep! Beep! I wake up to an alarm screaming in my ear. I smack the alarm to shut the yelling off. It was a January day, in the middle of the cold, brutal winter. I finally got up after sitting in bed for what felt like hours, and looked outside like I do every morning. I noticed that there was no sign of grass to be seen. All that could be seen was white, frozen blanket of thick snow. I started to get ready for the school day and I just prayed that school was going to be canceled. As soon as I was fully ready I stepped outside and my food sunk down a foot and a half below the snow! I could not believe it that school was still open. As soon as I got to my car that was completely covered in snow, my mother comes out and yells that school was closed. I felt a huge wave as release and I ran back inside and went right back to sleep.
“Come on Tata! One more time please?? Let’s make it a race down the hill!” I had said this phrase the last five times we skied down the hill, but since my dad couldn’t resist my “I am your only daughter and I really want to do it” face, he said okay. We rode the ski lift to the top and once we got off, he went to the the more advanced hill, and I stayed at the regular high hill. I only went to the little hills once, only because the rope that brings you back up was really hard to get on, and I kept falling off it. The race was simple: Whoever made it to the bottom first, won. No prize, no reward, just bragging rights. But since we couldn’t see each other from our hills, we could just go whenever. I realized that the race was kind of dumb if we couldn’t see
It was a sunny day in the middle of winter, that year it was a very sad skiing season. Still, Most people were skiing that day, but my friends and I were trying to find something to do. We settled on going to target, So we set off on a very long trip of 10 or 11 blocks, carrying nothing but 20 dollars in each of our pockets. Walking down the silent sidewalks of our neighborhood, we decided to buy some crazy stuff. We walked in only to meet this kid we all hate, Grant.
Lately my life has been dedicated to skiing. Ski team ended tonight but I had great fun while it was going. I really enjoyed the fact that you could practice really hard or just have a good time with your friends. Do you know how to ski? The only bad thing about skiing is the wipeouts. On Monday I went on a jump and caught huge air! It was the highest I've ever jumped! Then I fell. That was quite a disappointment. Have you ever gone on a jump while skiing? If you haven't you should try it because trying new things is the "spice of life". Now that ski team is over I think I'm still going to try to ski twice a week while there is snow. After that I intend to start running outside. What do you like to do for spring exercise?
Every MLK weekend me and my family drive up to WI to ski/snowboard. This year though was a different story I accidentally broke my collar bone the week before and we weren't able to go. Every year we leave our house at 4:15 am we drive all the way through until we hit WI, then we stop at the nearest breakfast joint we see. We go inside and eat like maniacs then we are back on the road and continue to the slopes. When we arrive we put on all of our heavy snow gear and go inside there we rent our skis/snowboards. Everyone in my family skis except me. Justis,Jacob,Mom and Dad all ski. I Love to snowboard many people say it is super hard but it's not at all if you learn how to do it right.I learned with Matthew on a trip a long long time ago.
Reflecting back onto a majority of my life choices I am able to observe a common factor that weighed in on the outcomes, my passion for skiing and my quest to be an exemplary student athlete. Over the course of the 7 years in which I have been racing competitively, I have changed schools 5 times all in search of the learning style that suits me best and accommodates my schedule fraught with races. I am currently embarking on my second year at North Tahoe High School and with the support of the Ski Academy Program I believe I will have a successful year both academically and athletically.
We left New Year’s Eve to go snowmobiling in the hills for the weekend. I was exuberant and ready to go. We loaded the snowmobiles on to the trailer so we could leave early in the morning then we wouldn't have to do it in the morning. I went to bed so then I could get up early to make sure I had everything. I got a text from my mom and said I had to go over to grandparents to get my snow pants. I went outside to start my car so it would warm up. I let my car warm up for a couple minutes. I left our to go over to grandparents. It took me about 15 minutes to get to their house.
Speed! That’s all I think about as I head down the slope. The wind blasts in my face as I race down. Suddenly, I swerve out of control; I freak out. My skis fall off and I’m stuck on a snowy hill looking down at a steep slope. Fortunately, my dad skis down and stopped a few a feet away from me. Panicking, I sat down and begin to worry. Yet, my dad eventually straightens me out and shows me how to get back up, we continue skiing.
Have you ever had your life flash before your eyes or hear the sound of your bone crack? Well that happened to me. It was a cold and gloomy morning. My Mom asked “do you want to go skiing?” I replied with a “yes.” My Mom called Lee’s Mom to see if she and her daughter Lee wanted to go skiing. They replied with a “yes.” Lee’s Dad asked if we wanted a ride to the train station and we said “sure.”
It was February sixteenth, I was in sixth grade and I had gotten a flyer for the annual school ski trip. More excited than ever I took it home and put it on the fridge so my mom and dad would see it when they got home from work. Twenty minutes after they got home they hadn't said anything, so I casually took it off the fridge and placed it on the couch between my parents in the back room. My mom looked at me with a tired sigh and asked what is was. I happily told her that it was an application form for a school field trip coming up! She signed the form and stated that we’d be renting skis from Barrie’s Extreme Sports Store. I was surprised that this wasn't a bigger deal! I had never been skiing before and it was clearly something that needed way more attention! It was very upsetting. But on the other side of the couch sat my dad, who would give me anything I ever desired. I’m spoiled by both my parents but he definitely spoils me more than my mother does, not to mention his constant enthusiastic support.