Photo courtesy of Shannon Bahrke

We just got our Olympic uniform! This is one of the best days ever because before this moment the Olympics have seemed just like a far off goal. But today—today is the day you can actually FEEL it! This will be the uniform that I will wear when I stand in the start gate and the starter asks me, “Olympian ready?” This is the uniform that I will wear when I go off the bottom jump and throw a huge backflip cross. This is the uniform that I will probably sleep in because I am so excited and I have worked my whole life for! This is the real deal, this is the Olympic Uniform!!

The other Olympic uniforms I’ve been lucky enough to wear, from 2002 and 2006, have been really nice and super cool (well they are just super cool because they are the Olympic uniform, only a few of us get them, and they only come around every four years). But by my standards they have been a little boring. They really did the job they needed to do but the 2010 ones are so much fun and bright—it really lifts my mood just looking at them.

Every season we get different outfits for our U.S. Ski Team uniform that we compete in all year long on the World Cup circuit. These have sponsor patches all over them and are different from year to year. But the Olympic uniform is not allowed to have sponsor patches on it; instead it must contain all of the Olympic logos and Team U.S.A. patches. In the past Olympics they have made the exact same uniform as our U. S. Ski Team ones. They just changed the colors, took off the sponsor patches and put on the Olympic ones. But this year it is a whole new uniform and it completely embraces the Olympic spirit.

This year our competition uniforms are made by Under Armour® and they are super cool. You will definitely know we are American when you see them. They are blue with white stars all over. They just scream U.S.A. Some of the athletes think they are over the top crazy with stars everywhere, but I say the more the merrier. If you knew me, with my pink hair, bright sneakers, and fluorescent workout clothes, you would know that this outfit is right up my alley!

The one funny thing that we got with our uniform is a one piece under layer. I don’t think I have ever seen such a thing so we all had a pretty good laugh when I tried to put it on. I think part of it ripped because I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to put the darn thing on. Needless to say I won’t be wearing that piece—I’ll go with the traditional two piece under layers!

Stars and stripes, here I come. I think it will go lovely with my glitter and pink hair!

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