Mid Season Update

From the race track in Cortina, Italy.

From the race track in Cortina, Italy.

Some great adventures have happened since the new year!  After the two-week Christmas break we headed back over the pond to our first stop in San Pellegrino, Italy.  We were there for a week training block, getting back on snow before racing resumed.  San Pellegrino has lots of great skiing and probably some of the best views I have ever seen! The Italian vibes were fantastic and training even better!!

Next it was off to Bad Klienkircheim, Austria where once again this year the weather was tough. This created crapy conditions and an interesting race. This venue always seems to be brutal so we have labelled it jokingly as “bad time”.  The Downhill training run and race run ended up being on the same day, while the start was lowered due to poor visibility. The snow was very rough/challenging and none of us did all that well.  After that, we had to forget about the weekend and move on to the next stop!!

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With a quick stop in Boltzano with our glove sponsor Reusch, we were excited to get back to the best stop on our tour Cortina, Italy. We always tend to do well there, and this year was no different!!  Having a great mindset going into the races, we capitalized on the type of track that suits our style as a team.  In the past, I’ve struggled carrying my training speed into races.  Once again, I was fast in training, but I couldn’t get a mistake-free run on race day. During the second training day, I re-tweaked my knee, but luckily our awesome medical staff helped me get back out there for my race!

When I landed on the podium in third place on day two, it meant so much to me and gave me confidence proving I can still ski well through the knee pain and be fast.  I felt inspired by Lindsey’s pump-up report I received before my run.  It was a dream realized to be on the podium with her after all she has done to help my career.  A special weekend it was witnessing Jules’ retirement and sharing the joy of our teams podium success!

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When I landed on the podium in third place on day two, it meant so much to me and gave me confidence proving I can still ski well through the knee pain and be fast.  I felt inspired by Lindsey’s pump-up report I received before my run.  It was a dream realized to be on the podium with her after all she has done to help my career.  A special weekend it was witnessing Jules’ retirement and sharing the joy of our teams podium success!

Poloroid Linds took at awards!

Poloroid Linds took at awards!

After a fun week in Cortina, I was able to come home for 5 days of rest & a quick visit with family.  I was blown away by the love and support from everyone regarding making the Olympic team.  I love being from Portland and having our amazing community behind me! Rose City Physical Therapy helped ease my knee pain, and now I feel more ready than ever to get back on the slopes!!

Next stop is Garmisch, Germany, and then it’s off to the OLYMPICS in PyeongChang, South Korea!!! I'm looking forward to competing in my second Winter Games, feeing more experienced than last time. I can’t wait to make incredible memories with my teammates & walk in the Parade of Nations, proudly representing our United States of America!!