Downhill Alpine Racing
3-time Olympian (2006, 2010, 2014)

3 Most Important Mental Skills?  Commitment, focus, and preparation.  I used those mental skills every day when I competed and those skills have transferred into my daily life. I use all those skills in work, parenting and coaching.  
How important are the tough days in your sport?  Tough days are inevitable but they are necessary. They are a guide map in what needs to change. If you remain calm, take a step back and take an Ariel view of the situation, you can usually find the answer to the problem. Then you have to step back in and get back to work.
Who is your sports hero?  Kjetil Andre Aamodt-his longevity and his ability to perform in big moments. It was a pleasure watching him, learning from him, sharing awards ceremonies with him and becoming friends with him.

Gymnastics - University of Utah
NCAA All-American & 2024 Team MVP

3 Most Important Mental Skills?  Visualization, goal setting, and motivation.  I use all of these mental skills almost every day even on days we are off, especially visualization.
How important are the tough days in your sport?  Tough days are so important because they teach the most lessons. Maybe it’s that you are really sore and aren’t able to perform to your peak, the lesson is that you can still do what you need to even if you don’t feel 100%. Or maybe you had a bad competition and lost, the lesson there would be to look back at the things you did good and things that you could do better. Then you work to improve on the things that you could’ve done better.  
Who is your sports hero?  My sports hero would be my club coach Ed Burch. He was a gymnast but the majority of his accomplishments come from coaching gymnastics. He’s my hero because of all of the things he taught me both in sport and in life. I have a deep admiration for his determination and work ethic and his belief that anything you put your mind to is possible to achieve.

Soccer - University of Utah
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3 Most Important Mental Skills?  Resilience, strength, and determination.  These mental skills are important every day of training, training days can be tough and as an athlete a lot of the times you just have to persevere and push through the hard times to continue to get better and grow.
How important are the tough days in your sport?  The tough days can be even more important than the easy days. They prepare an athlete for hard games or matches and help grow resilience. Every tough day you have as an athlete that you are able to push through leads to future obstacles becoming easier to overcome. The most growth happens in the face of the hardest times.
Who is your sports hero?  My sports hero is Lynn Williams (now Biyendolo) because she was always overlooked in her soccer career from high school going into college and college into the pros, specifically in regards to the national team. But she has persevered in the face of being overlooked and become one of best (if not the best) NWSL players in the history of the league with the most goals scored as well as most championships won.

Downhill Alpine Racing
3-time Olympian (1994, 2002, 2006)

3 Most Important Mental Skills?  Resilience, tenacity, resolve.  I used these mental skills Every day, every run, every race. Mental preparation and attitude is something you can control as an athlete. There are so many variables out of a skier’s control (weather, course set, other skiers etc.) that one cannot afford to neglect something that IS 100% in their control.
How important are the tough days in your sport?  There will always be more tough days for an athlete than good days. The best athletes turn the “failures” into lessons so they in fact are not failures, just a new way to get better. It doesn’t mean “don’t care”, it just means that there are no failures, just lessons and lessons can be tough but there is always a way “up”.
Who is your sports hero?  My sports hero is Summer Sanders - Olympic Gold Medalist, America’s sweetheart in the 1992 Olympics. She has stayed true to who she is and remains humble. I need to respect the person before respecting the athlete. She embodies how famous athletes should act AFTER having success.

Freestyle mogul skiing
U.S. Ski Team

3 Most Important Mental Skills?  Visualization, confidence, and attitude.  I use my mental skills every single time I go out to ski for training or competition. I want to have a great mindset and prepare myself for competition and anything I may face.
How important are the tough days in your sport?  Tough days has been a common theme for me this year. While this may be hard to accept and deal with, you must understand they come and go. Even though today may not be the best, tomorrow is another opportunity. I also love to tell myself if it’s not my day, it’s someone’s else’s and of course I will always support my friends and teammates who may have good or bad days too.