Going downhill fast--on two skis or one.

Ellie forerunning the Super G at the Tri Divisional Championships at Snowbird.

I've been spending a lot of time at ski races this winter, even though I'm not skiing anymore. I'm the racer chaser for granddaughter Ellie, who competes for the Snowbird Race Team in the USSA U-14 division for young ladies under 14. She's barely 12, so she's in with some tough competition.  This year is a learning year, but next year she'll have the experience, size and strength to be a podium threat.  She's a tough, determined competitor.

                

                 Erika and Ellie in Jackson

Racer Chaser Bob with Ellie in Park City.

This year we've been to Park City, Snowbird, Snowbasin and Jackson Hole for three and four day events. This is intense competition, with more than 100 girls and 100 boys vying for the podium as they chase Olympic dreams in Slalom, Giant Slalom and Super G. These kids are expert skiers, running hundreds of gates over the season. They're on the mountain at 6:30 a.m. training two or more days a week and every day over the Christmas break.  It's not for the faint of heart or unmotivated.

The slalom course at Snowbasin.  The gates are barely visible.

They ski long, steep courses in a variety of winter weather conditions--sun, fog, snow, wind, rain...whatever Mother Nature chooses to deliver. There are thrills, smiles, crashes, tears...all the highs and lows that competitive sports can serve up.  But they keep coming back for more.

Paralympic skier Anna Beninati shredding a slalom course. 

There's another side to ski racing that I'm also tuned into in a big way: ski racing for the physically challenged.  I'm on the marketing committee at The National Ability Center in Park City, a key training ground for Paralympic athletes like Anna Beninati. The Paralympics are for physically challenged athletes and are held right after the Olympics at the same venue.

Anna captivated the students at Heartland Elementary

I recently arranged for Anna to speak to students at my wife's school, to inspire them to do their best on upcoming SAGE tests. Anna is a remarkable young woman who is a double amputee from a train accident that severed both of her legs in 2011.  She's training for the 2018 Paralympics in Korea, using a high tech mono-ski. She trains with the National Ability Center Ski Team in Park City, but also teaches mono-skiing at Snowbird.

Anna balance training at the National Ability Center.

Anna is a dedicated, hard-working athlete who has had to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to excel at a very demanding sport.  Yes, she inspired the students in a way that few could.  They won't soon forget that day. Nor will I.

Celebrating a World Cup medal!

There's more than one way to get down the hill.  But you have to get to the top of the mountain first. Anna has done that in spite of a big tough climb.  To find out more about Anna Beninati check out this You Tube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df20npHysCU

The Antidote For Winter Depression: Mountains, Sunshine and Skinny Skis.

Sun and skinny skis: the perfect cure for the blues.

Getting through the Holiday Season was a supreme challenge this year.  On November 30th, while putting up Christmas lights, my daughter Erika fell off a ladder and broke her pelvis in three places. Celebrating the holidays took a back seat to just getting through each day.  Factor in the pressures of daily caregiving, and dark snowy days, followed by the foggy inversion we get every winter, and depression was sure to follow.

No fog allowed on the Mt. Dell cross country track.

Fortunately I discovered the cure.  It's as easy as driving a few miles up into the mountains to get above the murky valley air and taking a few laps on cross country skis. The treatment included clean breathable air, lots of vitamin D and a rush of endorphins as I glided along the groomed trails at Mt. Dell.  Skiing helped reduce mountains of troubles into molehills, while preparing me to cope with daily struggles and keep a smile on my face.  It was also somewhat monumental because I discovered that I can still cross country ski in spite of my diminishing physical capabilities due to my aging spinal cord injury.

Adaptive sit skis make cross country skiing accessible to everyone.

The skiing was thanks to TRAILS (Technology, Recreation, Access, Independence, Lifestyle, and Sports )  a comprehensive outreach program of the Rehabilitation Center at University of Utah Health Care for individuals with spinal cord injury or disease. They provide a safe and supportive way for those of us living with a spinal cord injury to go outside and play year round.

Ellie ready to hit the race hill at 6:30 a.m.

In addition I logged a daily trip to Snowbird to take granddaughter Ellie to ski race camp during the Christmas break.   I basked in the magnificence of our Wasatch Mountains, while spending time with my 12 year old would be Olympian.  Meanwhile, my daughter Erika seems to be well on the way to recovering without surgery, so life is definitely on the upswing.

The Snowbird race hill where Ellie runs gates.

I'm always amazed at the accessibility of our awesome Wasatch Mountains.  I can pick Ellie up at 6 a.m. and we're in the Snowbird parking lot by 6:20 if the road is clear.   It's one big reason why I could never move to another city or state.  I love the mountains and feel privileged to spend time in them.  My goal is to do that as often as possible.