Hi All!

I hope your summer is wrapping up nicely and you enjoyed your holiday weekend. I recently returned from a 3 week+ on-snow camp in Australia where I skied on my 17th birthday, ate a lot of Mint Slices and Tim Tams, saw some kangaroos, competed in the Australian New Zealand Cup, and completed a very productive training camp.

Toppa’s Dream

Over the past month, I have been working hard at Perisher, Australia, on the infamous Toppa’s Dream, one of the toughest courses in the world, progressing my technique in all areas: turns, speed, and jumps. The past month has led to many improvements, many of which were attributed to my turns, the part of my competition run that I am improving the most this summer. Each day, I worked on making my turns more consistent as well as taking a straighter, more direct path through the bumps, becoming faster as a result.

Throughout camp, I skied in all kinds of variable weather – rain, snow, sunshine, wind – which made for great training, ensuring that I’m ready to ski in anything during competition. The venue hosted many international teams, including Canada, Australia, France, Japan, China, Bermuda, Switzerland, South Korea, the UK and the United States. I enjoy training on this course, as it is a challenge to ski my best on, as well as a great place to make improvements.

The Australian New Zealand Cup

This on-snow camp culminated with competing in the Australian New Zealand Cup. This two day singles mogul event comprised of Many World Cup athletes who were currently training in Perisher competed in this two-day singles mogul event. The event itself offered a great opportunity to get back in competition mode against a strong field while still in the preparation season. The experience and results from these events are utilized by my coaches and I to evaluate my training thus far and conclude which adjustments are necessary to make before the World Cup season starts.

My jumps for this event were 360 and back layout. My goal with this event was to lay down my best run each and every time, especially with regards to my turns and speed, and see where it lead me (in terms of results). Although I solely focused on the execution of my run each time, I was satisfied with the consequent results, especially seeing as I have 3 months of preparation season left to make improvements before the real season kicks in. As I had anticipated, my turns still need the most work, but I am very happy with my overall progress and how consistently I competed from one run to the next!  On the first day of competition, I finished in 3rd place, just behind the #1 and #2 ranked athletes on the World Cup Tour; and on the second day, I finished in 2nd behind this past year’s World Cup Tour winner and World Champion, Britt Cox! 

Stanford OHS Class of 2018

Also during my trip to Australia, I began my senior year of school at Stanford OHS! This year, I am taking AP Literature and Composition, Critical Reading and Argumentation, Advanced Topics in Literature, and Study of the Mind – four classes that I have wanted to take since I began my education at Stanford OHS. Because I have finished nearly all of my credits for high school, I now get to choose what classes I would like to take for my remaining two semesters of schooling. As you can see, my classes are primarily composed of English and philosophy-based courses. Although I am not entirely sure of my exact collegiate path just yet, this aligns more closely with what I’d like to focus on during my undergraduate studies.

Exploring Sydney

My Australia trip came to a close with my teammates and I exploring Sydney on our last day down unda’! We ate breakfast at a cafe overlooking the Opera House and bridge; went swimming at Bondi Beach and a pool overlooking the ocean; took the ferry around the harbor; and explored shops around Sydney. Immersing myself in the surrounding culture was a fantastic way to conclude my trip! My coach, Kate Blamey, is an Australian native from Melbourne, which made having her as our tour guide a unique and exciting experience.

Home and Back to Work

Although my trip to Australia was extremely successful, I am happy to be home and have a few days to spend with my family. Towards the end of the week, it’s back to work in Steamboat, CO for a month before heading off to Zermatt, Switzerland for my next on-snow camp!

Thank you all for following along with my journey! This wouldn’t be possible without your support!!

Best,
Olivia

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