2026-2027 Race Place Catalog Cover Stories

Ski racing is more than a sport to me. It has shaped who I am and has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember.

I started skiing in the Pacific Northwest at mountains like Crystal Mountain and the Summit at Snoqualmie. When I was three years old, my family began skiing most weekends and holidays at Whistler, where I participated in the weekend ski program and later the race development program. Some of my best childhood memories were made on those mountains, chasing speed, tackling the steeps, and developing a love for skiing.

When the U.S.–Canada border closed during COVID, I could no longer travel to Whistler. Since my school in Washington State had moved online, my family decided to spend the winter of 2021 in Park City. What started as a temporary move quickly became something more. Since then, I have proudly raced for Park City Ski & Snowboard. I now call it home as a junior at the Winter Sports School and a first-year FIS athlete.

Ski racing has taught me how to embrace challenges, push my limits, and find joy in hard work. It has introduced me to incredible coaches, teammates, and friends, many of whom have become like family. Skiing has also given me opportunities to mentor younger athletes and help them discover the same love for skiing that I found at a young age.

This past season, I won the U16 Western Region Slalom Championship, finished seventh in slalom and ninth overall at U16 Nationals, and ended the season with 11 victories and the Bryce Astle IMC Overall Cup. While I am proud of those accomplishments, what motivates me most is seeing how far I can push myself and continuing to chase bigger goals. As a first-year FIS athlete, I am striving to become one of the top first-year FIS women in the United States and earn a spot on the U.S. Ski Team Regional Development Team.

I believe I would be a great choice for the Race Place catalog cover because my story reflects what ski racing is all about: passion, perseverance, growth, and a genuine love for the mountains. The cover photo would not just represent race results. It would represent a young athlete who is dedicated to skiing, values her community, supports her teammates, and inspires younger skiers to pursue their own dreams. Ski racing has given me so much, and I would be honored to represent the sport and the ski racing community on the Race Place catalog cover.

I would like to thank you for the opportunity to enter the Race Place Cover Contest.

There is truly nothing like the feeling of standing in the starting gate. The anticipation, the nervousness, the heart-pounding excitement, and the rhythmic beeping of the starting wand all create a moment of absolute focus. But the second I break the wand and leave the gate, the quiet takes over. It becomes just me, the line, the bite of my edges on the ice, and pure speed. It is the best feeling in the world, and ever since I first experienced it, I have been hooked.

My dad taught my brother and me to ski at a young age, starting on the hills of Tyrol Basin in southern Wisconsin and taking trips up to Indianhead and Powderhorn in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where he grew up skiing. However, I didn’t discover ski racing until eighth grade. Despite being a late starter compared to many in the sport, I joined the Tyrol Basin Ski Team that year and earned the Most Improved award. That spark ignited a passion that quickly took over my high school career.

Throughout high school, I was a multi-sport athlete, playing middle linebacker and special teams on the varsity football team and running sprints on the track team in the spring. But winter was always my primary focus. Over four years of high school racing, I earned Team MVP four times, served as Team Captain for three consecutive years, and qualified individually for the Wisconsin State Championships. Alongside high school racing, I competed all four years with the Mad Alpine Midwest Area Ski Race Team in USSA events, where I earned the top rank on the team.

My commitment to the sport was truly tested during my junior year of high school. In the second week of the state football playoffs, I suffered a torn meniscus that required surgery. Just four weeks after surgery, I was back on skis training. Through intense rehabilitation, I persevered to qualify for and compete at the Wisconsin State Championships, going on to earn varsity letters in skiing, football, and track that same year.

Knowing I wanted to take my racing as far as possible, I chose to pursue a finance degree at Montana State University in Bozeman. Being twenty minutes from Bridger Bowl and an hour from Big Sky allowed me to step up to the next level. I joined the Bridger Ski Foundation (BSF) team and began competing in FIS races as a freshman, marking only my fifth year of competitive ski racing.

Stepping onto the FIS circuit, I competed across all four disciplines: slalom, giant slalom, super-G, and downhill. I quickly found my true strength and passion in the speed events. Looking ahead, my goal is to aggressively lower my FIS points in GS, super-G, and downhill by competing in every speed race possible. Next summer, I plan to expand my circuit to the South American Cup in Argentina and Chile, followed by the North American Cup (NorAm Cup) next winter, with my ultimate dream set on qualifying for the Winter Olympics.

I am deeply grateful to my parents, whose nonstop support has made both my academic and athletic goals possible. However, the transition to high-level FIS speed racing brings significant financial demands. Right now, I am competing on a mix of old and borrowed FIS equipment. To stay competitive against elite fields, I need to upgrade to current, race-ready gear while managing team fees, coaching, registration, travel, and lodging.

Race Place has always been my go-to source for skis, poles, and essential gear. Earning a spot on the Race Place cover would not only be a highlight of my athletic journey, but the support would directly help fund my push toward the South American Cup, NorAm circuit, and beyond.

Thank you for considering my story and supporting athletes who are dedicated to taking their racing to the limit.