It’s been an interesting year for everybody, including myself, and it’s because of that that I’m extra grateful to have the opportunity to go race on World Cup, starting in Ruka, Finland. I know an international race circuit seems weird right now, but it’s something I’ve dreamed of for years, and I can’t be more excited to get my start on the full-winter World Cup. I feel confident in the protocols used by FIS and the U.S. Ski Team to prevent illness around the whole World Cup events, and I hope, with diligent following of the plan, we can get some fun racing in!

That said, the prospect of being away from home for possibly up to 5 months has made me really appreciate the little things that I love here, like skiing in the dark on the trails across the street, and napping with our dogs.

It’s also currently one of the best starts to the winter that we’ve ever had, so that also makes it hard to leave. Going to worse snow feels silly after so much perfect skiing thanks to Anchorage’s Nordic Ski Club (also I’ve seen more people skiing out there every night than I feel like I’ve ever seen—proud of my city!).

Easy days are great for some different trails

Also I know I’ve been bad about blogging much, or posting in general. School and training have been busy! My goal for the winter is a blog every week or two. I know as a kid I loved just seeing the day-to-day stuff from the World Cup, so I’m going to try to provide that through my lens. Plan to check in more often!

Lil sneak peek at the new team poster…hope I don’t get in trouble for sharing it but I think it’s cool

Also I want to get in an NNF plug on this post! The NNF is an organization that’s been supporting U.S. skiing, specifically developing skiers, for years. I have received a lot of support from them over the years, from camp to race support. The fact that they support these events makes it possible for more kids to extend themselves and be involved many months out of the year. They are a huge part of the current and upcoming success in American skiing. They aren’t some big business either, most of their funding comes from their annual fundraiser: the Drive for 25. It’s going on right now and I would be so thankful if even a single person that read this blog donated to them. The link to my page is below, but you can also donate by just searching “NNF Drive for 25”. Generations of skiers thank you!

My Drive for 25 fundraising page