When did you start skiing?

I started skiing when I was 2, but I didn’t start racing until I was 7.

What challenges have you faced in skiing?

My competitors are also my friends on the team, so when somebody does really well and you don’t do so well, it’s really hard to be happy for them because they are on your team. At the same time, you also want to beat them.

What motivates you to continue skiing?

It’s the improvement you get and the huge adrenaline rush when you are going super fast down a hill. When you have a good run you feel so proud afterward. It feels so good to have a clean, perfect run. You just always want that feeling.

Are there any fears you have about skiing?

Falling. I hate falling, I really hate it. You have to not be afraid to fall because that is how you go at the gates, but I hate it. I hate it so much. I tore my lip open. It wasn’t fun.

Do you have a hero or someone you look up to in skiing?

My really good friend Peter, he is in college now, but since I was 9, he was the good skier of the team and everyone wanted to be him. I didn’t really talk to him until the summer after he left the team, and now when he came back last year, he helped me so much with my skiing.

What have you learned about yourself from skiing?

You’ve got to have confidence, and it’s made me a much more social person because you are with these people. You don’t see them a lot, but when you see them you can’t just ignore them. You have to be confident going down the hill, if you’re not going to move, then you look stupid.

What has been your favorite moment from skiing?

My friend Lotus Schifsky and I were racing slalom. I am really good at giant slalom, which is where the gates are farther apart. It was my breakthrough year. I beat her, and got second out of all the girls in my age group. I got second twice that year and the championship medal and that was my proudest moment. I finally got to where I wanted to be.