I couldn’t feel my fingers; or my toes, for that matter. As I stood at the top of a terrifying downhill course with the frigid air whipping at me, I felt as if I would faint.

When the timer went off I would be flying down the mountain at 55 miles per hour, occasionally flying through the air in blizzard-like conditions. This was Junior Championships for ski racing in Steamboat, Colorado. I was there with a few of my teammates who also qualified for the race. It took place over the course of a week. The first couple days were downhill, which is the fastest and most intimidating event.

Right before my run I looked at the starter and saw he was counting down from 10. I took a deep breath, almost started crying, took another deep breath and pushed out of the start gate.

I was shaking all over. I thought I was going to fall every time I made a turn. The course was very icy and slippery. I seemed to forget this is what I love and this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

When I am doing something I love and I’m terrified, I try to block out all my fear and just enjoy myself. In the middle of the course I felt like my ski was about to pop off and my legs were on fire, but I made it down OK. I realized that it wasn’t so bad.

Through the course of my skiing development I figured out the biggest part of being an athlete was learning to block out the thoughts racing through my brain. This is going to help me achieve my dreams of becoming an Olympic ski racer, whether or not I get there. Even though we sometimes have to do things as an athlete that are not fun, like taking ice baths after a long training session, I just have to remember this is what I love. I could have done a million other things, but I chose this sport. The key for me is to embrace it fully, and remember to just let go and enjoy myself. That is how I succeed.

I learned I have to block out my fears and love my sport in order to be a successful athlete.