I drop my skis into the forgiving morning snow, stomp my boots into my bindings. The frigid wind nips my cheek, but the rising sun comforts me. Closing my eyes, I prepare my line down the mountain. There is fear, but the exctement is overwhelming. With absolute confidence, I speed towards the jump, skipping across the snow, turning into the jump and off. The next seconds feel like minutes, spinning and flipping through the air. When I stomp down my landing forty feet later, I am completely content. Skiing is my background, identity, interest, and talent. If anything has shaped me into the person I am now, it is skiing. Ever since I could walk, skiing has been my passion. When I'm skiing, I am as free as ever, no longer bound by deadlines,…show more content… At a young age I would venture off on my own to seek new adventures. During those times I found myself becoming lost, getting hurt, or helping others; these moments were the most valuable. My most monumental experience was the time I was stranded alone in Vermont at age 11. I had split up from the group seeking more challenging slopes, when I took a wrong turn, and ended up on the wrong mountain. I was miles from anyone I knew! There I was, alone in my snowsuit, less than five feet tall. The ski lifts were closing any minute. I figured if I didn't make it back in time, I was going to freeze to death in the dark, and I was terrified! I raced to the lift, rode to the top of the mountain, located a trail map, and navigated myself back to the right mountain in time. That day I realized if I am truly confident in myself, my objective is never out of reach. Also, I figured that if I survived in Vermont on my own, I'm invincible, right? Well, at least I believed that when I was 11! Last spring, I attempted one of the hardest climbs at Whistler B.C. I hiked for an hour wearing ski boots through snow deeper than my knees. I had to carry my gear up, as well. The altitude made me dizzy. My brother turned back. But, my cousin and I eventually made it to the spectacular summit, and it led to the best run of my life. This difficult, but amazing experience helped show me that at first something may seem too challenging, but in the
