I’m a 28-year-old Montana native transitioning from professional skier to nurse. Until this past year and a half I was living in Salt Lake City, UT and pursing my greatest passion: skiing. The best snow on earth brought me to the Wasatch Mountains 10 years ago, and I made it my home. After several big injuries and an itch to pursue a new challenge with the hope to help others, I left the formidable mountains of the West and set out for a nursing education at Duke University in Durham, N.C. After 16 months on the East coast I graduated with a BS in nursing and am officially a registered nurse. I now find myself in limbo as I find my footing for my next adventure. I’m striving to converge my previous life as a passionate skier with a love of the mountains with my new love of nursing. After a December 2009 graduation, I’m still searching for that perfect foot hold…I’m exploring the plethora of opportunities and potential paths. The question now is, where will I be led?
After my decision to leave my ski career behind, I turned my back on a large part of my heart. I left some amazing backcountry and unbelievable powder. I left travels and winter adventures. I left my travel buddy and best friend. I left all I had known.
Before my pursuit of big mountain skiing, and before my life as a nurse, I spent a couple of years on the U.S. Development Freestyle Ski Team before realizing that powder was a lot more fun than rock-hard bumps. Eventually my knees waived a white flag, and I traded my mogul skis for my first pair of fat, pow boards. I quickly found the challenging joy, exhilaration, and camaraderie of big mountain skiing. I competed on the IFSA World Tour for several years with a couple of top finishes and amazing travels along the way. I had the fortune to meet some wonderful people all over the globe and ski some incredible mountains. I also had the opportunity to shoot photos with photographers, film, write, and jump on board with the random ski endeavor. It’s been an amazing ride.
I’ve been lucky to have the support of some great sponsors that allowed me to pursue my adventures, push the sport of skiing, and conquer many challenges. I owe a big thanks to Peak Performance, Oakley Eyewear, Volkl/Tecnica, Lululemon, Alta Ski Resort, and Dakine. I wouldn’t have accomplished half of what I had without their help. And it should not go unsaid that my parents are at the top of my sponsor list as well….they’ve always been my biggest support.
Injuries have been a debilitating obstacle on multiple occasions over the past few years, and my most recent break (broken tibia plateau) put a major damper on my pursuits. While my leg is continually improving, it was a frustrating recovery. It has diminished my ability to charge and took the wind out of my sails. It will probably never be the same, but as long as there is powder I’m good to go.