World Championships

Last night I got the word that I will be racing in World Champs! I had a little deja vu when the coaches walked in my room and gave me the good news. Last year, I unexpectedly stepped in for Annie after she injured herself in Jr. World the week prior. Now I’m replacing Courtney as USA #3 in the biggest race of the season. While I’m absolutely thrilled it’s hard to celebrate knowing I’ve taken the spot from my best friend on the team. It’s one of the tough aspects of competition but I know she’ll be back stronger than ever next year, we’ve all been there.

When I was called up to race in Whistler I was elated! I was told I’d get to compete in one of the Park City races too but World Champs was still to be determined. At the time I honestly didn’t consider it as a possibility. I just figured Court would come back and the team would pick up where it left off before I got there. I was just so excited to be on the Olympic track that I didn’t have any expectations for Worlds.

It’s crazy how things end up… especially after wanting to throw in the towel a few months ago with a rocky start to the season. This all has taught me a valuable lesson about perseverance. There were a lot of things that happened this year that were out of my control that opened doors for me. You never know what’s in store… just keep on believing. I feel very lucky to be in my position right now and I’m up for the challenge! I have a lot of things to work on this week to prepare. Lake Placid is truly my home track and I plan to give it my all! It could possibly be my last official race on the track. We won’t have team trials there next year and I don’t believe it’s a stop on tour either. Wow, that just put things into perspective ☺ GO USA!