Support junior athletes competing at the elite level across the US today. Your donation helps make their dreams possible.

It was night in Grand Mesa, and I was racing down a hill in a full tuck on classic skis. I wasn't tucking to avoid the trees that were overhead - I couldn't have seen them even if we stopped - but instead to pass my friends. The snowflakes were quick and wet, hitting my face and sliding off just in time for another impact. My skis were jiggling on the snow, because we were cutting across the groomed path, and my legs were too tired to counteract it. I was cold, full of adrenaline, and was pretty sure I was about to crash and break a ski. (I didn't, but I did have a couple of close shaves.) Definitely one of my favorite skis ever.

I lost that race -- my skis found themselves caught in a snowdrift, and my body immediately followed -- but my friends climbed back up the hill to help me up. We skied over to the fire happily, because really, we all won. Skiing, for myself and the thousands of junior athletes across the US, is so much more than just a race. It provides beautiful scenery, a group of friends, fitness, and a whole world of things never before possible. In Grand Mesa, my friends and I climbed a mountain on our skis (admittedly, there was a lot of herring-boning involved) and had a snowball fight on top of the world. We made new friends at Nationals. We adapted to the terrain when the opportunity presented itself - and there were many opportunities, because USSA clubs host races across the country. New York. Massachusetts. Colorado. Utah - who will also host Juniors next year. There are so many amazing places for junior skiers to compete across this country, to form lifelong memories and friends. All of those are made possible -- in part or entirely -- by the National Nordic Foundation. Your donation will support juniors racing across the US, getting to compete in the sport they love - but more than that, it will foster the next generation of skiers -- from World Cup athletes and coaches to world-class ski scientists -- across our country.