I grew up in Anchorage, Alaska. It is the best place on earth for an outdoor enthusiast. I started skiing through the Anchorage Junior Nordic League around the age of 5 or 6, and through the years progressed (and fell) through the ability levels within the program. I can't say I liked Junior Nordic all the time, but I do know that whatever attitude I had going into a session, I was always in a good mood afterwards. Over those summers of my childhood I would dabble in other sports like soccer, swimming, baseball, and fencing, but none of them stuck like Nordic skiing did.
I picked up biathlon in 2003, after a Junior Nordic 'biathlon' race where we used slingshots and lemon drops with paper plates as targets. I thought I was pretty hot stuff those first few years in biathlon, and it soon came evident that this wasn't just another sports phase I was going to grow out of.
In the summer between seventh and eighth grade, I was extremely fat and still doing Junior Nordic. I didn't consider myself to be that generously proportioned at the time, but looking back I am impressed at where I started from. Most of my friends had moved on to the Alaska Winter Stars, a competitive Nordic training program in Anchorage. I was very intimidated to make the transition to AWS, mostly because I felt like I was too out of shape to be in it. That changed very fast after joining. I remember every minute of the first two weeks of Winter Stars training. It was hell, but something clicked after those two weeks, and I could feel myself getting faster and stronger. It was during this time that I started to look at my surroundings and see more than just mountains and ocean. I started to see a playground, and became very connected to the mountains and the endless recreational opportunities it provided me. At the same time my attitude changed about skiing, and I realized that although it is a huge commitment, I did it without regret or remorse. Skiing became a lifestyle for me, both on and off the corduroy.
During my time training with the Alaska Winter Stars, I had other pursuits as well, as did most of the other athletes in the program. Most everyone on the team went to public school, played an instrument, and had some of the highest GPA's in the district. I am incredibly grateful that the Winter Star training program promotes well-rounded athletes, and the program is proof that a champion skier can have a life outside of training. I personally sang and toured with a choir, played and toured with the Anchorage Youth Symphony, earned my Eagle Scout rank in Boy Scouts, and went on a student-exchange to Germany while seriously training for my Nordic goals. All of these extra-curricular activities have allowed me to maintain perspective on my athletic and personal life.
These past few seasons I have begun to realize my concrete goals in and outside of athletics. I want to spend part of my life as a professional biathlete, as well as apply my college degree toward a post-athletics career. I believe myself to be well on my way for these goals, most notably posting a top-30 result at the World Junior Biathlon Championships this past season in Finland. I have been selected to be on the Montana State University Division I Nordic Ski Team for the 2012-2013 season, and will therefore be focusing on my skiing ability this season instead of biathlon. I believe that this is what is necessary for me to improve as a biathlete.
2012 also marks the inaugural year of Biathlon Elite. Biathlon Elite is a program I started in order to promote post-secondary student-biathletics in the western United States and Alaska. The team has acquired some very valuable sponsors, and is off to a great start. I encourage you to check our website biathlonelite.blogspot.com
2012 also marks the inaugural year of Biathlon Elite. Biathlon Elite is a program I started in order to promote post-secondary student-biathletics in the western United States and Alaska. The team has acquired some very valuable sponsors, and is off to a great start. I encourage you to check our website biathlonelite.blogspot.com
I have high goals and aspirations for this coming season, and while I might be the biggest, I'm not the best, and I realize that. But hopefully with a true moral and athletic compass, I can continue to learn and succeed in this sport as well as in every area of my life.
