Tell us about your decision to attend Paul Smith’s College. What were the deciding factors there?
At the end of March last year I was deciding between going to school at UVM or taking up the opportunity at Paul Smith’s College. Part of me wanted to go to UVM and have a normal college experience but something in the back of my mind told me no. I think part of that voice was my concerns with Covid at the time as well as my love for skiing and jumping. I think that Paul Smith’s really drew me in as I could step out of my door and be able to jump out onto the ski trails. On top of that it really hit me in quarantine how much I love skiing whether it be at a higher level race or simply going and skiing up the north shore (MN). Going through that I couldn’t imagine myself missing this opportunity.
When did you arrive on campus? What were your initial impressions about the school, training facilities, etc.?
I arrived on Campus on August 11 to look around before move in and was pleasantly surprised by the campus. I had actually never been on campus before because of spring quarantine. As you could expect this was a bit of a shot from the hip for me but I knew I liked the area and honestly why not just go for it! I really liked the trails and a lot of the setup around campus but I especially liked the view of the lake right outside my dorm. Being a Minnesotan I really feel at home being perched right on Lower St. Regis. As far as training facilities I feel like Covid has turned the norm on its head here, right now we have not been able to utilize a lot of the indoor facilities but to be honest the crown jewel here lies outside anyway. The VIC trails have made it so easy to get out on a training run whether it be at 6AM or right after class, being that close is such a convenience.
Do you have a favorite class so far?
Hard to choose a favorite class, but I think I would have to go with our 100 level Bio Lecture. I have enjoyed listening to our professor’s stories and experiences as well as the content itself.
Who have you been training with and how has the quality of training been so far?
I have been mainly training with Timothy Ziegler, but we have been mixing it up too with the biathletes as well. I actually skied against one of the biathletes, Garrett Beckrich, for years in high school, so doing sessions with him is super productive. The quality of training has been pretty good so far but we are still working out some small stuff.
Do you have a favorite place to run, rollerski, bike, etc?
I would say that my favorite place to run so far has been up Ampersand mountain near Saranac Lake. It has some really sweet views from the top and some really great technical parts up and down. Other than that the rides and roller skis are sweet around Franklin Falls and Catamount Mountain near Whiteface.
Have you been jumping at the Lake Placid facilities?
Unfortunately we have yet to get on the hill as they are still under construction. I hope we can get some early snow jumping in November.
What kind of goals do you have for this upcoming season?
To be brutally honest it is tough to think about racing with everything that is going on at the moment. I am still working towards making it onto the national team. I hope that I can really reach up to the next level, but more important than that, I hope that I have a positive and fun experience. Regardless of what the season looks like or what the results page says, I aim to have a good time. I’m really trying to use this time to keep an open mind to new ideas and processes here, whether that be in training or just in life in general.
