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| 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.
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| Erika and Ellie in Jackson |
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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
