Hello! Thank you again for checking out this blog about my life as a professional skier! I consider myself extremely lucky to get to experience this lifestyle and see some of the most beautiful places in the world. But how did I get to where I am? Well, I grew up in a family who all loved to be active and enjoy the outdoors. Throughout my childhood, days would be spent swimming, biking and playing soccer in my hometown of Thunder Bay, ON or at the family cottage near Portage, MB. During the winters skiing would take over as our primary outdoor activity, with most of the family heading out to Kamview Nordic Center to enjoy the trails. To be perfectly honest, skiing wasn't my favourite thing then, but the thought of earning a freshly baked cookie and hot chocolate at the chalet kept me chugging along with my parents. It wasn't until I was placed into the Junior Racers program at Kamview that I started to enjoy the competition that skiing could offer. It was this enjoyment of going fast that lead me to join the Lappe Racing Program once I entered highschool. That was when I became hooked. Skiing became my primary focus, with the summer months spent anticipating the first snowfall. It was a slow but steady progression from finishing middle to bottom of the pack, to being good enough to race for Ontario. Once I graduated into University, skiing took on a whole new level of enjoyment. I got my first taste of high level competition with the Lakehead Varsity Ski Team and Big Thunder Nordic Ski Team. It was there that I decided that this was what I truly wanted to do. So I applied to the National Team Development Center(NTDC) to chase my dream of racing for Canada. And I didn't make it. I think that initial rejection was extremely important for my athletic development. It taught me not to take anything for granted and that I would have to be fully committed to skiing. The following year I thankfully was accepted onto the NTDC, and I completely embraced the experience. I put my University education on hold and committed to this full-time pursuit. I spent three great years training and racing in this program with some amazing teammates and friends. I quickly made my way into the top tier of Canadian skiers, and last year was selected to compete for Canada at the World Under-23 Championships in Turkey. Knowing that I needed to continuously push myself further, I applied to another National Training Center located in Canmore, AB. I knew that totally immersing myself amongst Canada's elite athletes would be the next step for me to find more untapped potential. And I am completely loving it! I've had my best training season to date, and I feel stronger and fitter then ever before! I cannot wait to test myself on snow in a few short months when the racing season begins.
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Hometown: Thunder Bay, ON Current Home: Canmore, AB Home Club: Big Thunder Nordic Ski Club Team: Alberta World Cup Academy Education: Pursuing a HBSc in Geoarchaeology at Lakehead University