With only two more days left here in Zermatt, I'm super happy to say this camp has been really successful. We arrived about 2 and a half weeks ago and the course was already a sheet of ice. Since we are skiing on a glacier, there are crevasses all over, and unfortunately they are creeping into our training venue. Each morning, the coaches have to fill in the crevasses so that we don't fall in while skiing! However, this is the only mogul course in the world right now, so we are grateful to have this opportunity regardless of the less than ideal circumstances.
Although the conditions have been really tough, my skiing is faster and stronger than ever. I am working on perfecting my competition run for this season. This is our last prep camp before the first Olympic qualifier so I was fine tuning my airs and turns while skiing at competition pace (as fast as I can while maintaining clean form). I typically am not known for being a fast skier, however this camp I have broken into a new level of skiing where I am able to go faster. I have been working really hard on my strength and power in the gym all summer and it feels great to see it pay off on snow.
In case you were wondering...yes I did apply to college. I applied to Dartmouth early, primarily because I love this school but if I were to attend, they have an accommodating schedule that would work really well with my training and competition agenda. Lots of US Ski Team athletes go to Dartmouth for that reason, because they are on a quarter system. This means I would essentially be able to take winter and fall quarters off, and take several more years to earn a bachelor's degree.
Speaking of school, after training (most days) I try to get a few hours of school done to stay caught up. It is certainly hard to motivate since Zermatt has so many outdoor activities, but I am getting it done. One of my teammates, Troy Tully, actually took my senior photos here! I'm stoked with how they came out, he is a very talented photographer. Enjoy all of these photos from my trip! (Click the next arrow on both slideshows to view all of the pictures).
Thank you for helping me get here. Keep an eye out for some video in the next week or so!
P.S. The pictures of me eating pasta are in Italy! The glacier is both in Switzerland and Italy and there is a restaurant just at the bottom of the course in Italy that serves the best pasta I have ever had.