Name: Abby McAlindon

Grade: 10

Sport: Ski

What is your favorite part about the ski team?

“I really enjoy all the memories that I am able to create with my teammates. We push each other to get better every race, and there is just so much support that goes around. It makes it seem less like a team and more like a family.”

Would you like to ski in college?

“It has always been a goal of mine to go and ski for a college out west. One of the colleges I am especially interested in skiing at is the University of Utah.”

What is your best memory from the ski team?

“I have a lot of favorite memories from skiing, but if I were to choose one I would say it would have to be after training up north with my club team. We aren’t out there [on the slopes] because we have to be anymore; we are all just out there enjoying each other’s company and sharing our love for ski.”

Why did you start skiing?

“I remember the first time my family went on a ski trip. Before this trip, I had never really been big about wanting to go in the snow, but on this trip, my love for skiing truly clicked. My toes were tingling from the wretched cold, and my nose was frostbitten, but going down the hill gave me such an exhilarating feeling. That’s when I knew that skiing was the thing for me.”

Where has skiing taken you throughout your life?

“Skiing has taken me on so many fun, exciting adventures that I never would have done without it. [I’ve] gone to Mt. Hood, Oregon to ski during the summer on enormous volcanoes and to Winter Park to spend Thanksgiving. It all just really gives me a lot more to be thankful for. This is just the start of where skiing has brought me, and I have learned and grown so much because of this amazing sport.”

Who is your biggest supporter?

“My biggest supporters are my parents. The amount of sacrifices that they have made for me to be able to do the thing I love most in this world is endless. From showing up to all of my races to helping me up when I fall down, they are there every step of the way, and for that, I can never repay [them].”