A Great Ending

This year seems to be to full to account for it all. I have had my ups and my downs. I have had my moments of brilliance and my moments of stupidity. I have both success and failure. This year like many of the years in the past has been jam packed full of adventures and excitement.

Almost a year ago today I was getting ready for the 2009 World Cup Season in Europe, S. Korea, and Canada. I am about to embark on a similar adventure in two weeks. I will be going to Rinn and Abtenau, Autria and then on to Sestriere ,Italy. I then have another NORAM in Kimberly, BC in February. After another couple weeks of training I will be at the World Cup Finals in Aspen, CO leading up to the start of the Paralympics in Vancouver, BC. I am ready to go!!

Just 15 months ago I was competing at the Beijing Paralympics and now I am just three months out of the Vancouver Paralympics. I enjoy doing both sports for the reason I am always striving to do better in every aspect, whether it is about transitioning from one sport to the other or just to be better at the individual sport itself. I don't do two sports for the glory, I do it because I love the sport. Skiing gives me the freedom to be able to go just as fast and just as far as my peers. Cycling allows me to be with friends that also don't stand still and love to better themselves.

I get to bounce back and fourth between two very awesome groups of people, where we are all family. Skiing brings fourth brothers that I have never had and cycling bring a since of unity even though the ability is vast. I am glad and honored to be apart of both teams. This season has solidified that, having trained months with both sports and always welcomed not matter where my adventure takes me.

So the season has officially started. I have been skiing for the last five seeks and it is going great. I have been training at Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge, and Copper Mountain. I have been able to get onto most of my new equipment and am skiing great. My winter is off to a great start.
The team has been skiing together for the last two weeks and it has been a blast. I have gotten to get to know my teammates better and I am looking forward to the European World Cups where the almost the whole team will be there. We are looking strong and ready. We have skied at two NORAMs so far and are ready for two more coming up tomorrow and Friday. I won both the Giant Slalom and the Slalom in Copper and am ready for the Super-G and Super-Combined to finish out the week.
First on the list of trips is to go back to Colorado Springs for the holidays and to spend time with the family. After that the next stop on the list is the World Cups in Rinn and Abtenau, Austria and Sestreire, Italy. I leave January 4th and will be racing through the 23rd.