Photo courtesy of Shannon Bahrke

We have finally left Steamboat and are headed up to Vancouver. I must say that Steamboat is the most Olympic-friendly place in America. They have a festival every winter and we were lucky enough to be there for it. They did a huge Olympic sendoff for us (the mogul team) as well as the Nordic Combined team. In addition to all of us, they celebrated all of the past Olympians who call Steamboat home. All in all there were about 40 athletes there, and we had a great time.

After the ceremony we went out to dinner with SmartWool® (thank you SmartWool®, you rock!!) to the Smokehouse and had some awesome BBQ. When we stood up to leave everyone in the restaurant stood up, started clapping, then chanting U-S-A, U-S-A! It is just a cool feeling to have an entire town wish you well and cheer us on like that. Thank you Steamboat for making us feel so welcome, and I couldn’t leave for the Olympics with any more American pride!!

This morning we got up at 5:30 am to catch a flight out of Hayden to Denver. When we got to the Hayden airport everyone was super stoked to have us there and they took great care of us. If you remember one of my earlier posts, you will know how excited I am to say we all got to fly first class. I just wish it was longer than an 18-minute flight. Yes, I really just said 18 minutes and I wasn’t joking! When we arrived in Denver, they announced we were in the airport and everyone started cheering again and chanting U-S-A, U-S-A!

I am now on the plane heading up to Vancouver. I’m sitting next to one of the most amazing athletes I’ve ever met and good friend, Jeremy Bloom. He was a mogul skier who competed in two Olympics, went on to play in the NFL, and now is going up to Vancouver to do some commentating. Also on our flight is Finland’s women’s hockey team (they are one tough-looking group of girls), Team USA hockey (an even tougher-looking group of girls—definitely wouldn’t pick a fight with any of them in a dark alley), and us. Everyone is in their country colors and bursting with Olympic pride.

This is the moment that it starts to feel real. Yes, I am actually going to be competing in a few days in the OLYMPICS!! My heart is beating faster because it is somehow starting to feel exciting and scary at the same time. It’s more than just me skiing on a course with a few of my teammates in Steamboat. It is suddenly the entire world uniting to compete against each other in sport, athletes from all over the world coming to Vancouver to represent their country. I will be standing in the Olympic gate at Cypress Mountain on the world’s biggest stage in a few short days. My arms have goose bumps, my tummy has butterflies, my eyes are starting to tear, and my blood is coursing a little faster through my veins just thinking about it.

As an athlete this is what you wait your whole life for. I was always jealous of the NFL players and basketball players because they get to compete for their championship every year and also make millions while doing it. Not us, we hardly make any money, nobody ever hears about us, and we get one 30-second chance every four years. Talk about pressure! But I guess I knew what I was getting myself into when I started this crazy sport called freestyle mogul skiing! And even knowing all of that, I would not change a thing!

But sitting on this plane gets me to thinking about everything I have worked for and how bad I want to stand on the podium and have an Olympic medal draped around my neck. I am sitting with an incredible group of people that I am about to embark on this Olympic journey with. This United flight has Olympic fever in every seat!!

Even though I have competed in the Olympics twice before, somehow this time feels different. Is it because of my rollercoaster ride of a career? Is it because I really wanted to walk into Opening Ceremonies and experience the Olympic journey with my little brother, and now it’s not happening? Is it because I know this will be my last chance? Is it because I want it so bad I can taste it? I don’t really know the answer to any of these questions but this time does however feel different.

But different or not, in a few days I get the honor of stepping into the Olympic gate and competing for my country. And I’ll tell you what; I am going to put down the run of my life. Even if it is for only 30 seconds, every 4 years!!

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