I have been competing for MBSEF’s Alpine Team in Bend, Oregon, for the past ten years. From bad snow years, to ok snow years, to what the …. snow years, I have always been dedicated to three things. Number one: My performance. Number two: My grades. And number three: My family. Ever since I can remember, I have always wanted to be the best. The best at my sport, the best in my school, and the best kid my parents could ask for. I have succeeded throughout my years with MBSEF, from winning the Mini World Cup six years in a row to being the Northwest Cup (Pacific NW Division) leader for the past two years.

I achieved a 4.2 GPA (soon to be 4.4) in high school with my senior year left to complete. I have maintained straight A’s through middle school until now, and I am the next potential candidate for valedictorian at my high school.

I have always been there for my parents, and I have established a great connection with my entire family where I can lean on them, and they can lean on me.

This urge to become successful has led to me moving to Park City for the upcoming 24/25 season, where I believe I can become the best version of myself on and off the snow. But money has become a huge problem for me and my family throughout the past two years. My father has been a real estate appraiser for the past twenty years and recently has picked up a second job. My mother is a veterinary nurse who works twelve-hour days, and I work every summer, all summer, so that I can come up with as much money as possible to help ease the financial burden I have bestowed upon my parents. Despite our collective effort, it is still insufficient to pay for my dream of becoming a World Cup ski racer. We are a middle-class family, and we have realized that the sport of ski racing at a higher level seems only to be feasible if you are wealthy. This catalog cover contest that you have generously provided to racers like me for the past 28+ years would help my family and me TREMENDOUSLY.

Through my long hours in the gym, school, and on snow, I have proven that I am worthy of winning the contest by giving it my all 365 days of the year. Every aspect of my life feeds a part of my ability in racing, and I can assure you that a kid like me who lives and breathes this sport will not let you down if I am chosen. Financially, I am more than qualified, and my dedication will see to it that the money from this award will better my career. I am so grateful for this opportunity, and I guarantee you will see my hard work pay off at PCSS.

Thank you,

Cooper

Unlike most ski racers, I joined this sport when I was 12, as a first-year U14 athlete. I’ve always loved winter, and I started free skiing with my mom when I was five. Skiing is just an extension of my personality, and when I’m on the hill, I feel free to be me. I quickly fell in love with the sport, always excited for the next race or training session. Skiing is my safe space, my second home. I know if I am having a challenging day, I can look forward to training and racing. I dream of someday skiing in college, and maybe if I work hard enough, I will even represent the US Ski Team. In addition, I really enjoy working with others, and I feel I would be well-suited to coach when my competitive days are over. These are lofty goals, but I am prepared to do the work necessary to achieve them. However, certain things that are not totally within my control can prevent me from being the best that I can be. The greatest challenge my family and I face in this extremely expensive sport is being limited financially.

When I was six, my dad took a job at Middlebury College, and we moved to Vermont from the Midwest. The best part of the move was that I had better access to more outdoor activities like skiing, biking and hiking. Our first winter in Vermont, I skied every Saturday with my mom and took some lessons at the Middlebury College Snow Bowl. This was our routine for the next two years before I begged my mom to let me join the Middlebury Ski Club with my friends. It was expensive, but somehow, my family made it work. Eventually, my best friend convinced me to try racing, and after a lot of debating, my parents finally agreed to it. Little did I know that this would change my life in so many ways and provide adventures beyond my dreams.

Looking for opportunities outside of Middlebury Ski Club to learn and grow my skills, I attended a holiday camp at Green Mountain Valley School (GMVS) before the start of my racing debut two years ago. When I arrived at the camp, I soon realized I had no idea what I was doing, and I wasn’t prepared with any of the right equipment for racing. When the camp director was discussing appropriate attire, someone asked if they should wear their speed suit. I leaned over and asked my friend, who was attending the camp with me, “What’s a speed suit?” Other racers had multiple pairs of skis, expensive boots, racing helmets and specialized equipment like slalom poles and gloves. I came with one pair of skis that were too short for me, my helmet was not for racing, my boots were too big, and I didn’t know the difference between slalom and GS skis and poles. I was a mess and was second-guessing my choice to attend. The coaches were great and so helpful. They told me I was going to need to get some race gear if I wanted to be able to actually compete in races. As we began shopping around for gear, we soon realized that we were getting into a very expensive sport.

My first season was a learning experience. I went into the sport not understanding many of the rules of racing; all of my gear was hand-me-downs, and I didn’t have many opportunities to train, but I was just happy to be skiing. I came away from that year with so much gratitude for the coaches, athletes and the sport. I fell in love with ski racing and knew I wanted more.

I dedicated my summer to getting stronger and lifting weights with my dad. For my birthday, my parents helped me get into a ski camp on Mt. Hood in Oregon….. who knew you could ski in the summer? We invested in a new speed suit, my first pair of slalom skis and better boots. Upon the start of my second racing season, I was stronger, had a better training schedule and had a bit of knowledge and experience under my belt. I started keeping a journal and setting goals, which was to finish in the top half of all of my races. After my first race, I realized that I could raise the bar with new goals, and I was now aiming for the top third and even a top 10 finish, which I did achieve. Even with my new goals in mind, I always approached racing with an authentic passion and love for the sport; placing in the top 10 was just an added perk of doing something I loved and having fun with my teammates.

Racing for a small club was an incredible experience, but there isn’t room for much growth beyond the U14 level. I knew if I wanted to continue my journey, I would need to find an alternative route. This soon became a tricky and frustrating experience as the cost of most academies was out of reach for me and my family. I applied early to GMVS and was initially told that I needed to improve my rankings in order to be considered. I took that as a challenge and attended additional camps, trained a few hours in the morning with the Middlebury College Ski Team and earned my spot on the Vara State Team by qualifying for the Eastern Regional Meet. This solidified my spot at GMVS.

As great of news as this was, it was not without disappointment as I found out that there was no financial assistance available to me, so we had to look at other options. Missing so much school in eighth grade during my racing season was hard, and my parents were looking into other clubs and trying to figure out if I could do an online route of learning during ski season in high school. Things were looking pretty grim, but an opportunity opened at GMVS with a job opening for my dad, an Athletic Trainer and Strength Coach. With my dad’s new position, it came with a tuition discount for hiring. It felt like the stars aligned, and the dream of GMVS would become a reality for me.

There are no words to describe how grateful I am for this opportunity to expand my horizons and race with some of the best U16 skiers in the country. I’m excited to make new connections, travel to new places, learn and grow as an individual. While I’m blessed to have a family that has made so many sacrifices for my advancement, some things are still out of my control. Racing is expensive! Gear can make a huge difference in performance; I know this firsthand. When I finally got a new pair of Head Slalom skis and boots designed for my feet and flex, I felt more confident, raced faster and could feel the difference in my ability to carve. Gear like proper gloves, poles, cut-proof tights, and back protectors not only improve performance but also keep me safe. Getting into GMVS and finding money for ski passes, trips, and all that goes along with the sport has been challenging for my family. My parents and little brother, Myles, have all made sacrifices to allow me to follow my dreams, but it is still not enough if I want a chance at becoming the best skier that I can be. This scholarship would help in many aspects of my skiing career. It will allow me to purchase equipment that can assist me with the progression and performance of ski racing. Proper fitting equipment will keep me safe and help me feel more confident and in control on the hill. I believe I should win this award because it will help offset some of the costs to my family, who have already sacrificed so much for me. It would allow me to ski with no limits and freedom from some of the financial burden this sport has placed on my family…. and like our school motto, I can just send it!

Sincerely,

Charlie