When I was thirteen, my parents gave me the opportunity to attend a winter sports academy. We toured GMVS and Burke, but something about Stratton felt right. I was impressed by the mountain’s resources. For a New England ski resort, it seemed second to none with its high-speed lifts, snowfall, and size. I trained one day with each ski academy before making my decision. Stratton Mountain School impressed me with the quality of its training, the coaches, and, of course, the school itself. My decision was made: starting in eighth grade, I would begin to SMS.
Leaving home at that age is never easy, but I knew it was an opportunity I needed to seize. SMS offered the perfect environment to take my sport as far as I could while receiving a world-class education. I knew how lucky I was to have the opportunity to be there and that, no matter how much I missed my friends at home, I was determined to make the most of it. Sure enough, nestled in the Green Mountains of Vermont, I found my tribe and went to work.
At thirteen years old, being placed in a totally new environment like that gave me the opportunity to reinvent myself. Who was I, and how was I going to become an elite ski racer? I didn’t really have lofty goals of becoming an Olympian or winning a World Cup, but I loved skiing, and I was a highly competitive person, so I did the only thing I knew how to do. I put my head down and worked as hard as I could. The atmosphere at SMS played a huge role in shaping the person I became. Slowly, my environment helped mold me into a better person and competitor. Whether it was staying late to make sure my equipment was perfect, waking up early to get an extra workout in, or studying harder for a test, I did whatever I could to improve as an aski racer and an athlete. I started to have some success, so I doubled down, working harder and making progress.
Not only did SMS help shape me as a young student-athlete, but the mountain and town were also very influential. The cold Vermont winters made me tougher, and Stratton’s terrain and conditions made me a better skier. I also learned a lot about community while I was there. Shortly after I arrived, Southern Vermont was ravaged by Hurricane Irene. Seeing how that community came together to pick itself back up in the aftermath of the storm was moving. All the students volunteered to help with the cleanup effort, which helped me develop empathy and understand what it means to be an integral part of the community. These would be lessons I also found useful on the slopes, helping me become the best teammate I could be.
By the time I was a senior at SMS, I had formed a special bond with the community, the mountain, and the school. After my five years there, it became a place that will always feel like home to me. I had continued to make progress in my skiing and qualified for an opportunity to ski with the U.S. Ski Team the following season. It was time to take what I had learned and who I had become at Stratton and put it to the test.
As a member of the U.S. Ski Team, I leaned on the same values and lessons I learned at Stratton to carry me through the challenges. Steadily, I progressed, climbing the ranks the only way I knew how– by working harder than everyone else. I faced good times and setbacks, injuries and victories. I’ve learned, grown, and developed new strategies along the way, but the experiences I had in Stratton built the cornerstone of my approach. Now, after seven years of racing on the World Cup tour, I can honestly say that the work ethic, the grit, and the sense of community I developed from my years at Stratton have been instrumental in propelling me to the world stage. And it’s what I will continue to lean on in my quest to be the best in the world
