Back In Action

After many health issues from previous problems, then a broken collar bone requiring surgery to repair, and delays in everything healing I was FINALLY well enough to return to the water!

I am fortunate enough to have a have a couple of really good guys in my corner to call and refer to for help. Thankfully they each had some time to offer me on the water. I had a few sessions working on starts and trying to paddle straight with an AWESOME kayaker Scott.  A session or two of just cruising around with Brian, then a long session of paddling hard, easy, and then attempting some paddle board stuff for balance with Chris. It felt really good to be on the water and my seat was good but might need some more work, so maybe over the winter I can get a new one done.  It’s now time to focus on school and enjoy the winter... because I will not be breaking anything this year!

Larry and I after I broke my collar bone

Bear Creek Lake-Burton swimming after me :)

Trying to figure out the paddleboard

Challenges

Returning home proved to be full of more challenges than expected, which is how my life generally goes so one would think I’d be prepared for the unexpected.

I had surgery on my hip scheduled for May, but that didn’t happen. I ended up with a rare eye infection that made the ophthalmologist refer me to a neurologist who was afraid I had an auto-immune disorder and therefore if he was right it was possible I could lose my sight having my surgery. So, surgery was delayed! I had lots of test ran and saw a lot of doctors. They never figured out what the cause of the eye infection was but it was determined I was safe to get my hip repaired. Because the hip surgery was going to be major I had to schedule it with 2 surgeons and it was delayed until July. This was a big bummer but it gave me a chance to hike a little, be on the water a little and just have some summer! 

Mt Sherman

 

 Surgery on my hip went really well. They were able to repair the cartilage, anchor it down, shave lots of bone that was impeding movement and were hopeful for a good outcome. Unfortunately recovery didn’t go so well. I got an infection from being in hospital and was in and out of the hospital for weeks. Even after multiple rounds of antibiotics and finally being infection free I was left with permanent damage to my gut. All of this meant I was not getting proper nutrition and my overall health and healing was compromised. Lots of doctors visits, tests, medications and frustration. Thankfully I have lots of family support, great friends and a cute dog to help me through. 

Cleaning up the mess in my hip

Trying to beat the infection

Burton taking care of me

Be Brave Enough to Be...

...Willing to Fall

By Hannah from http://www.teamawe.blogspot.com/

Ever since I can remember I have been far from graceful on my feet. I have fallen and picked myself up more times than I can count. Because of that, one might think that I’m an expert, but I’m not. My constant struggle with physical balance is both literal and a metaphor for so many other things in life. Each stumble, each fall is a reminder that life is uncertain and that me and my body are fallible. Falling is scary and it can hurt, so being willing to fall is a hard thing to do.

 Recently both my body and the universe have been throwing a lot at me and if I was afraid to fall I wouldn’t be able to move forward. Trusting that my leg will swing through and catch me with my next step is not any different than believing that hard work, preparation and training will take you where you want to go. They both make perfect sense but they both seem very unlikely at random times. Despite the fear of falling, in order to get ahead you have to put yourself out there, even if it’s just one foot at a time or you may never know the strength you have.

Last October Team A.W.E. participated in an extraordinary event. We were part of the Tedx CrestmoorPark in Denver. The event was about community and empowerment and we were given 15 minutes to speak. We were all comfortable speaking on our own in front of groups of various sizes but this was a whole new ballgame. We had to prepare and execute a speech as a team while making a positive impact on the people listening. Being relative perfectionists in the days leading up to the speech we were unsure and it would have easier to take the easy route and do something we were more familiar with, but that’s not the kind of people we are. We were out of our comfort zones and at times it was difficult, frustrating, time consuming...

…and so WORTH IT!! We were the final speakers of the night so we had listened to all the amazing stories of the strong people who spoke before us and knew we had big shoes to fill. We got up there, presented ourselves and our speech about as well as we could have, and in return we were given a standing ovation! It was unbelievable and beyond our expectations! We had taken a risk and put ourselves out there and it paid off!! We met many beautiful and motivated people, earned respect as speakers and individuals, renewed our spirits and opened doors to continue to grow as a team.

 Being brave enough to fall really meant that we were brave enough to succeed!

Life is about change

Change can be both positive and negative but it’s mostly what you make of it.

I decided to update my ski racing blog because it might have to change and become my “racing” blog. Yes I’m still retired from ski racing and I have no intention of going back. Between the money, politics and physical demand I’m happy to be done. Winter Park is still my home and I’m still very involved with the NSCD Alpine Ski Team. I helped out with camps and new athletes this past season, but in truth; I know I made the right decision moving on. Over the past 15 months I’ve opened the next chapter in my life and my main focus has been trying to finish my bachelor’s degree in Biology. That being said I’m an athlete and a competitor. It’s in my blood. I have a very hard time being stagnant.

Last season the NSCD welcomed Nordic, Biathlon and Snowboard into their program& Snowboard cross has actually been added to the Paralympic Games for Sochi 2014!! After a little contemplation and very little persuasion I decided I needed to at least give it a go. I have only been on a snowboard a handful of times before this season but I was ready to suck it up and see if I could figure it out.

Not a big surprise, but I stunk. I wanted to pressure the edge like a ski but I didn’t have the momentum or balance to keep up with it. The head coach Brent and the guys that ride with him were very supportive and enthusiastic towards my efforts. I know I’m not very good but I did improve each time I strapped into the board. Unfortunately just as I thought I was figuring it out, I made a poor decision and went out on a day that the sun was shining but the snow was hard. I ended up catching an edge, landing just wrong. I limped my way down without assistance but finished my day at Granby Medical Center getting a CT. It showed I had disrupted one of the disks in my lower spine- huge bummer!! Not an injury I’ve dealt with or wanted to deal with. It all happened 1st March so I decided to play it safe and stay off the board for the rest of the season while the inflammation in my spine and surrounding tissues went down.
Hopefully this coming season will go a little better. I’d love to say I’m going to rip it up and be able to hang with boys and enter a comp and just be an all around Snowboard Betty Bad Ass… but my plan is to get good enough to just ride. I hope to ride with the NSCD snowboard team and see how much I can improve.

Below are a couple photos from Wells Fargo Weekend in Winter Park 2011.

Post Paralympic Reflection

Snow is still on the ground in Winter Park, CO but the mountain is closed and most people (including myself) have put the ski gear away. I sit here looking out at the snow and think about how I am not done ski racing just for this year, I’m really done.

It’s a very odd feeling knowing that the path you’ve traveled for the past 13 years has reached the end. The highlight reel that runs in my mind has so many highs and lows. I am so grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had and the friends I’ve made! I have been able to do so much and see so many places I never imagined seeing. One part of me feels like the luckiest person in the world while the other side of me is somber with the reality that the ride is over. My family, friends and sponsors have stuck by me through it all and made it possible!

Ironically enough, two years ago today I had the PAO surgery on my right hip. I walked into the operating room knowing that there was possibility of my racing career coming to end that day. Obviously it didn’t end that day but in the many days to follow it seemed to slip away. Somehow despite it all I got back on snow. I didn’t have 2 more seasons of racing, but this last one was just fine. The fact that I persevered beyond that surgery and everything else I’ve endured since, to make it to my 3rd Paralympic Winter Games, is just short of a miracle. Maybe miracle is a bit strong but after lying in a hospital bed unable to move my legs just 14 months before opening ceremonies- it feels pretty miraculous to have made it.

The Vancouver 2010 Paralympics were fantastic! In comparison to 2006; I didn’t have to travel for weeks prior to leaving, it was a relatively short flight to Vancouver, it was a non-snowy and uneventful drive to Whistler where the village was actually complete, our housing was close to other athletes, the gym and the dining hall, and we had strong staff there with us. In addition; I had my parents, my boyfriend and a couple other close friends up there in the stands supporting me!

As far as the mountain and the competition, it was definitely not ideal. In fact it was probably the worst situation and conditions I’ve ever raced in. I always talk about ski racing being a winter sport and it being very weather dependent. When the conditions aren’t good the safety of the athletes is at risk so the organizers generally err on the side of caution. In this case the caution they used was to flip-flop the entire schedule. This does happen occasionally, but I’ve never seen them run the Downhill (DH) training runs to then run the Slalom (SL) race. It may happen but not at any disabled races I’ve been to.

What this meant for me was that I was racing my SL race on the 15th instead of the 21st and my Giant Slalom (GS) race on the 17th instead of the 19th. We’re athletes and we’ve training thoroughly for our events but mentally this was a big hurdle. We hadn’t been skiing or training SL because we all thought we had plenty of time. Plus, the schedule change was because of weather so we knew the conditions were going to be less than ideal. To top it off, SL is my better event and I really wanted to end my Paralympics and probably my ski racing career with my strongest event. Unfortunately that didn’t happen. Not only did I not end with SL but I didn't end with the best SL race of my career either. I know that the fresh snow, the fog and the inconsistent conditions played a big part in this as my balance is worse when visibility is decreased and bumps are increased. I’m not making excuses it’s just the way it is. I raced two solid runs and reached the finish, but not the aggressive yet smooth skiing that wins medals. My goal was top 10 but I finished 16th, not what I wanted but 16th in the world isn’t too bad.

My GS race went about the same. We did not wake up to 10 inches of new snow like SL day but we had fog so thick that 3 gate visibility was pushing it and there was a sleet/ rain mixture on the bottom of the course that added to the level of difficulty. I skied as well as I could with the courses and conditions at hand, but again didn’t ski fast enough. I had a better 2nd run than 1st run but not the kind of run I wanted to end on. I know that I have the ability to ski better but I couldn’t ski to that ability on that day. I went, I raced, and I finished. Finishing isn’t a goal I normally strive for, but to end my ski career without crashing, without injury and to finish 15th place is just fine with me. I felt I could walk away with my head held high.

The Paralympics weren’t over after my races but the ending was about the same. Closing Ceremonies were a very rainy and cool, and maybe a bit of a let down. The truth is though; I enjoyed myself through it all as I really am happy and thrilled to have had the journey I did!

Championship Character

Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character. ~T. Alan Armstrong

I returned to the snow this past Saturday at Copper Mountain and I am delighted at how good it felt to be skiing again! I am still working on getting my leg back into racing shape but each day I hope it will improve. I know that my hip and legs will never be the same after all I’ve been through, but I’m counting on being able to adapt to the differences and be as fast as ever.

It’s been a busy past couple months. I have been in the gym, and taking 3 classes 2 days a week that are prerequisites for a radiology technician program next fall. I am trying to keep my focus in the present and prepare myself best I can for the future, whether that is a couple months or years ahead.

A major highlight was in September I received the Hal O’Leary Award from the Colorado Rockies and NSCD. The awards dinner was held on the dirt of the field at Coors Field. This was a very humbling and wonderful experience. Hal O’Leary is the creator of innovation in disabled sports; to receive an award bearing his name is so incredible and a huge honor!
Right now I’m trying to get enough money together for the season so that I can attend all the races necessary to qualify for the Paralympics. I just want to have a fun and successful season! Let’s go skiing.

Moving forward

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning but anyone can start today and make a new ending." ~ Maria Robinson

No I can’t go back and change anything that has happened, so I try not to dwell on the events of the past, I am happy to have today. This past year and a half has been anything but easy but I feel like I’m finally moving forward once again. The U.S. Adaptive Ski Team denied a medical leave from the team last year so I am no longer with them. I will be skiing for myself this season with the NSCD Alpine Ski Team. Due to my physical and financial situations I was not able to attend any camps this summer and won’t be doing any camps this fall either. I’m trying to look ahead towards the snow fall and training here in Colorado.

The beginning of July I got the screws removed from my pelvis. Of course nothing ever goes as expected and that was not any different but I’m doing well now and focusing on getting stronger. My legs feel so much better than they have in a LONG time. My strength and range of motion still are not what I want them to be, so I keep working. I’m not sure if I will be able to regain all the function I lost but I won’t quit trying. I have a new found hope that I will be strong again. I have been on my bike, playing tennis, taking light hikes, and back in the gym. I had ambitions to climb a 14er before the snow came, but that might be a little much to ask of my body yet.

I have every intention of ski racing this season, with my focus being on going to my third Paralympics in Vancouver, Canada in March! My first race of the year is in December at Copper Mountain and that’ll be a good litmus test.

May

The race season is over, the mountain is closed and it’s officially Mud Season in WP.

I would love to sit here and write that things are all better and that my life is back on track but that isn’t exactly true. The good news is that my legs have been working most of the time and I was able to finish the season skiing. I was actually able to get back into a race course right before the start of US Nationals here in Winter Park. I really wanted to start the SL race at Nationals but my leg stopped working just days before, once again leaving me weaker than I was and I didn’t want to push it. I was, however, able to be a forerunner and that brought me immense joy. It was so nice to be back in the start with my teammates, and even better to be knocking gates down in a course. I was very thankful that I was able to do that and I felt like it put me one big step closer to being well again. I must admit that the weakness I’m dealing with daily is definitely exaggerated when I’m skiing and that is difficult, but my choice is to deal and push through or sit around. I don’t sit still very well.

Nationals were fun but the best part of the last couple weeks was the 2 consecutive powder days the closing weekend. I got to ski 14 inches of fresh one day and 22” the next- which in spots was really the 36”. It was insane and a lot of work, but we don’t have those kind of powder days often so I HAD to ski.

While I’m still healing and getting better, my program is working out in the gym on a regular basis; diligently doing my exercises, biking whenever it’s nice enough and visit my chiropractor Dr. Mike as often as I can get to Denver.

I had to take a leave from the ambulance as I just cannot return with my leg still being so unpredictable. So, because I do not have the income from EMS, fundraising is going to be extra important and a huge focus!

My intention is to attend as many summer and fall camps as I can physically handle. That means, if I’m strong enough, I plan on going to Mt. Hood in June, New Zealand in August and Chile in September. Following the snow around the world is not cheap so I’m going to have to work very hard to get the funding I need.

“I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly,

acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing.” -Agatha Christie

I’m BACK!!!!

I have been able to walk without using my crutches for 9 whole days now!

I don’t know what changed or how it happened but last Monday I “turned the corner.” For the first time in weeks I’m able to walk around without worry. I’m still not my “normal” self; my balance is definitely worse than usual, my legs are still a little wobbly and I’m still feeling the different aspects of weakness. But, compared to where I was even 2 weeks ago things are GREAT. I am back in Winter Park, I have been back on the mountain skiing and life is okay. I’m taking each day as it comes, and trying to keep my chin up and focus on the good things. I have a nerve test tomorrow called an EMG. I hope it will give the doctors better ideas as to what is going on, but you never know.

I am just happy for today, because I can help what tomorrow will bring, I’ll deal with that then.

If it isn't one thing, it's another

That saying that “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade” must have been written by someone who has never been given lemon after lemon after lemon.

I was finally starting to feel better about my hip, my skiing and my life. I was really optimistic and excited to continue to improve and who knows, maybe get back to work and possibly make a few races this year??

But, I must have done something to deserve bad karma because on the evening of the 5th I lost the ability to stand up. No you didn’t read it wrong, I could not use my legs. Previously that day, I had skied, done my stretches, fixed dinner and then all the sudden around 7PM I could not stand up. I had someone come over and stand me up but I just collapsed. At that point I started to freak out. I ended up heading to Denver via ambulance (the same company I work for), talk about scared and embarrassed. I stayed in the hospital until Tuesday of this week. It was a disaster, I was stuck there for DAYS and I left still not knowing why I couldn’t walk. It may have been a million different things,they weren’t sure but were hopeful I’d be back to normal soon.

Right now I can only try to work on myself as well as think positive that I’ll have my body back soon.

31 December 2008

I’m not sure how many days I’ve had on snow at this point but it’s getting close to double digits. It’s crazy to think that I have had less than 10 days on snow and January is tomorrow. I guess that’s how it goes.

This week has been one of my best weeks yet। I got into gates for the first time since last year on Monday. I didn’t ski the whole course and I sure didn’t ski well, but I did it and I was pleased with that. At this point, I don’t have high expectations with training but it feels good to do it. I was extremely sore after my efforts Monday but a day off and some Advil fixes a lot.

Today we had Super G training and I was reluctant to go out। Speed skis are not exactly the easiest to ski and I wasn’t sure if I could even control them, let alone turn them। Thanks to a great tune by a local guy Bob, and some previous experience, I had no issues. I had the best day I’ve had all year! I wasn’t laying down clean arcs and ripping it up, but I was going fast, feeling the snow, and skiing Super G! I was SO happy when I came off the mountain today. Thanks goodness for small miracles and great tunes!

Still Fighting

I’m STILL working on trying to figure out how to get my body to work again. I’m going to physical therapy once a week, seeing different physicians and just trying to get it figured out. It’s tough now that we actually have some decent snow to not be out on the hill. The crazy part is that I was ski racing for months (maybe years) with my hip not in the socket properly and now that it’s all fixed up I’m worse off than I was the day before my surgery. I KNOW I needed this surgery and it wasn’t an option, but now I just want my body back.

The first races of the season are next week but for the first time since 2003 I won’t be starting. That's hard emotionally but I know there are worse things in life other than not being able to ski race.

I’m trying to be smart and take care of my body rather than beat it up. I haven't skied since opening day and I'm hoping the extra time off snow will pay off, maybe just maybe things are about to turn around. It'd be so nice to be back to work on the ambulance and back out in sun and the snow skiing. I'm not holding my breath, but I'm hopeful.

Another Leap

I recently found out that I need to have another surgery.

This caught me completely off guard. I have been having some problems with my right hip for a while now, and I finally went to see someone. They took a bunch of x-rays and I went to see the hip specialist, Dr. Sink. He is a pediatric surgeon but he’s supposed to be one of the best with hips. During my appointment he went over my x-rays with me, told me the problem and then told me how he’d like to fix it. Basically, my femur is not in the socket properly and this is causing damage to the socket, pelvis and femur. Unfortunately, the surgery sounds absolutely horrendous. They will cut my pelvis in a couple different places, reposition my femur and the pelvic bones, then put in screws and pins to hold everything in place. The surgery is scheduled for 29th of April at The Children’s Hospital in Aurora. I’m not sure what the recovery entails but I’m sure a lot of hard work, so I’m putting on my game face and getting ready for a rough summer.

Training at home

I had one of the best days of training I’ve had in a very long time.
I’ve been home for several weeks now but I just haven’t been feeling like I have it together. I feel like I’ve been fighting the courses rather than skiing them. That changed the other day skiing GS, things actually started to come together. Then, today in SL I felt like a whole different person. I guess sometimes patience and persistence does pay off.

Still Going

The ski season is in full swing. It’s been snowing, the mountain is almost all open and the race season has begun. We have had 2 races now and a big road trip to come.

Our first races were a SL and GS in Breckenridge, December 6th and 7th. This is normally a good warm-up race and a gentle way to begin. This year it wasn’t exactly like that. We got over 10 inches of snow the first day and several more inches the next. While I was pleased to see the desperately needed snow, it is not what we as alpine ski racers want to see. Fresh snow makes the course very soft, uneven and holes are created almost immediately. These types of conditions are a test to even the most experienced racers.

I had two decent days of racing with 2 solid finishes, but I definitely did not ski the way I wanted or expected. I told myself that it’s the first race of the year and I’d just take the good things and build on them.

I spent the next couple of weeks training here at home in Winter Park and trying to ready myself for the races here. We had one GS and two SG races the 17th-19th. Prior to the races, I had finally gotten all my new skis, had been training well and the snow was good. I felt very prepared and confident. It was the first time in a long time that I felt comfortable on my Super G skis. I guess confidence and performance do not always match up. At the end of the 3 days, I had 3 mediocre finishes at best. Once again, I had skied parts of each course very well, but then made mistakes here or there that ended up costing me a lot of time. It only takes one wide turn, a poor line choice, a few skidded turns down the pitch, and you’re way out of the mix. Ski racing is an unforgiving sport.

For the next week, I’m going to go over video, reflect, ski and try to figure out how to make it better the next race. I’ll be headed to Park City, UT on the 31st for races the 1st-3rd. From there it’s off to Europe for some World Cup races in Abtenau, Austria.

The snow is almost here

I was hoping when I arrived home from my African adventure that there would be snow on the ground. Unfortunately I'm not quite that lucky. We did have a dusting on Monday night but when it warms up during the day it doesn't really do much. I guess I got a little spoiled last year when we had snow early in September. At this point I can just hope when it does start snowing it doesn't stop so the skiing is fantastic!

Fantastic news

I just found out that U.S. Paralympics wants to be a big supporter of my latest adventure. Including myself, there are 4 female ski racers that are going to climb Kilimanjaro this September. By climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, we want to not only raise awareness about female athletes who have a disability, but also raise money to create two scholarships for female athletes to attend the NSCD race program. Having U.S. Paralympics on board is a huge deal! I am so excited!

Unfortunately, it's has still been snowing up here. The past 2 days we've seen nothing but snow and rain so I haven't been able to play outside. That's Winter Park for ya!

I also got some other good news the past couple days. Rudy Project USA has been sponsoring me for sunglasses for a few years now. I just got an e-mail from them saying that they want me to use their goggles as well. I love everything that Rudy has done for me and I feel special to be a fully sponsored athlete! Thanks Paul, Avi and Molly!

End of the season

Photo by Ken Watson

For Winter Park, the season comes to a close on Sunday. You wouldn’t know that from looking outside as it has been snowing for days. That’s okay though, we need the snow. In some ways it’s hard to believe the mountain is closing but in other ways I’m ready for the break. It feels like it’s been a long hard season. I guess all of the changes and ups and downs, has just taken a toll on me emotionally.

Our racing season ended at Waterville Valley, NH with U.S. Disabled Championships. Because we couldn’t run the speed events they ran 1 Nor-Am race and one National race for GS and SL and then the last day we did a dual GS for fun and prize money. I skied well. I had two of my best SL races of the year and I actually beat my friend and teammate Liz Miller in a few runs of GS, which usually doesn’t happen. In the Nor-Am GS I took bronze. For the Nationals GS I came back from being behind first run to taking silver! The Nor-Am SL was a heartbreaker for me. After first run I was sitting 3rd. Second run the leader DNF and I won the run, but it wasn’t enough and I lost by .58 of a second- OUCH! For the nationals SL I was down by 2 seconds after first run, had another good second run and made up time but it wasn’t enough and I ended up 3rd. The final day was the duel GS and I had another good day. I skied fast in the qualifying and then throughout the day to take 4th place behind my teammate Laurie Stephens. Not bad.

All in all I had a good week but it was bittersweet. At the end of the week we had our individual meetings with our staff and made decisions about next season. The decision was made that I will not be part of the U.S. Disabled Ski Team next year. This was really tough and I wasn’t quite ready to deal with it. I think I’m going to take a step back and focus on training and maybe just local races, I don’t know. I’m not sure how everything will work out but I’m going to stay in Winter Park and WILL be training and racing. There are a lot factors that have affected my skiing but the bottom line is that I want/need to race faster, whatever it takes. Photo by Kurt Smitz

More changes

We have yet more changes to our schedule. We are no longer running any speed races at U.S. Nationals this year. Apparently it isn’t legal for Waterville Valley Ski Area to hold a downhill or super G at their mountain. Somehow this had been overlooked until this week so they’ve changed the races to 2 GS races and 2 SL races. I don’t mind too much because there were rumors that the speed races would not have been scored with ASD points (so they wouldn’t have done us any good.) Plus as of right now, one of the each of the tech events will be for the national title and one of each will be scored as an ASD scored Nor-Am race. This is good news because that means the penalty should be lower and it could help us keep our points down. We’ll see.

Wells Fargo Bank Cup

This past weekend was one of the biggest fundraisers of the year for the Nationals Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD), the 32nd Annual Wells Fargo Bank Cup. It’s a weekend full of sponsors, fun and racing. For the athletes that train here in Winter Park, we get a chance to “show our stuff” to the NSCD sponsors and open eyes for others about our program. The NSCD is one of the best outdoor recreation programs for people with disabilities in the world. Thanks to this event, Wells Fargo Bank, the Denver Post, Denver Broncos Alumni and Denver’s Channel 4 we are able to show sponsors and the general public what that really means.

For me, this past weekend really was a lot of fun. On Saturday I participated in the Frontier Cup which is triple SL team race. I want to send a special note of thanks to Don Marshall a member of the NSCD board of trustees and long time supporter of me and my racing. I had the privilege of being on his team “Wellskis” in the Frontier Cup and helping them advance to the second round of racing for the first time in years (maybe ever.) Yeah!

On Sunday I raced in the Disabled Invitational. This was the first time I’ve raced in this race because in the past, the Disabled Invitational was only open to men. This was because it was based on the pro-race format that was only open to men. Last year our head coach here in Winter Park, Erik Petersen, changed that and created a women’s category. Unfortunately for the NSCD most of the women who train here (including myself) were in Italy racing World Cup and Paralympics.

The race format is very different from our usual races. This race is a dual GS course with 3 bumps in the course that send us into the air. It’s exciting for spectators but really exciting for us. The weather didn’t cooperate as it was snowing really hard throughout the day but it didn’t dampen the excitement. During the qualifying runs I raced really well and actually won the qualifying round. I thought that set me up pretty well to win the race but I had to face my British teammate Liz Miller in the semi-finals and she edged me out by .12 seconds. That put me into the consolation round to race off for 3rd or 4th. I skied well against my teammate Ricci Kilgore but she ran into trouble both runs, and I was able win and take 3rd place. Liz took 2nd after my U.S.D.S.T teammate Elitsa Storey beat her by only .11 seconds in the finals. It was great day of racing and an overall great weekend!