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Sunday, 20 Apr 08
I met Kayla Snyderman in Sun Valley while both of us were spending the holidays in the Idaho ski town. She definitely made an impression one day: Kayla and her younger brother, Reed, dressed up in 1980's one-piece ski suites and busted old-school tricks like daffys and back scratchers while be-bopping down moguls runs. Kayla is on the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team, and had such a stellar season this year that she was promoted from the C team to the A team. She's only 19, so watch out for this kid. When the Massachusetts native is not competing, she is studying at Dartmouth College. She wants to win the Olympic gold medal and hopes to show people that a little thing like rheumatoid arthritis shouldn't slow you down. — Vanessa Pierce
SheJumps: What's the biggest "jump" (aka risk) that you've taken to achieve your dreams? Have you gotten there yet?
Kayla Snyderman: I guess the biggest jump I've taken so far is committing to not being a normal college student in general. As a student-athlete who places a pretty equal emphasis on both aspects of my life, sometime I feel quite torn between being the best student I can be or the best athlete I can be. I'm still trying to do both, but I'm making a conscious effort in the next few years to make skiing the priority. That's a pretty exciting decision for me! I'm sure that in the future I'll be taking much bigger jumps to achieve my dreams, but it starts with small steps.
SJ: As a ski teamer, do you consider yourself a role model? If so, how are you contributing?
KS: I guess I do consider myself a role model in some ways. I don't want to harp too much on the education thing, but I guess that's what I'm most proud of myself for so far in my career: my constant attempt to balance both of my very different goals. If I am a role model for any little freestylers, I would hope that they could look to that aspect of my life as an example. Also, on a completely different note, I'm starting to think of myself as a role model for another group. I have rheumatoid arthritis and,
obviously, judging from the fact that I can ski without reservation and function completely normally, I am so far doing really well with treatment. It would make me really happy to know that I have inspired hope in just one person with rheumatoid arthritis who wants to live an active lifestyle despite the disease.
SJ: What's your biggest dream?
KS: I want to win the Olympics! That's a big dream. Also, this is pretty nerdy, but I really want to write a historical fiction novel someday, preferably something kind of trashy and romantic but which will still require me to travel somewhere interesting to do the research and the writing.
SJ: Have any advice for future moguls skiers out there?
KS: Hmmm ... mostly just to have fun with it. For me, success comes more easily when I'm really psyched about skiing and about competing.
SJ: What do you plan to do with your Dartmouth degree?
KS: I'm trying to figure that out! I have millions of options in mind, and if you ask me this question a week from now I will probably have a completely different answer. Right now I guess I'm hoping to be an environmental lawyer, or a writer, or both.
Featured Jumper: Kayla Snyderman
Comment on this PostI met Kayla Snyderman in Sun Valley while both of us were spending the holidays in the Idaho ski town. She definitely made an impression one day: Kayla and her younger brother, Reed, dressed up in 1980's one-piece ski suites and busted old-school tricks like daffys and back scratchers while be-bopping down moguls runs. Kayla is on the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team, and had such a stellar season this year that she was promoted from the C team to the A team. She's only 19, so watch out for this kid. When the Massachusetts native is not competing, she is studying at Dartmouth College. She wants to win the Olympic gold medal and hopes to show people that a little thing like rheumatoid arthritis shouldn't slow you down. — Vanessa Pierce
SheJumps: What's the biggest "jump" (aka risk) that you've taken to achieve your dreams? Have you gotten there yet?
Kayla Snyderman: I guess the biggest jump I've taken so far is committing to not being a normal college student in general. As a student-athlete who places a pretty equal emphasis on both aspects of my life, sometime I feel quite torn between being the best student I can be or the best athlete I can be. I'm still trying to do both, but I'm making a conscious effort in the next few years to make skiing the priority. That's a pretty exciting decision for me! I'm sure that in the future I'll be taking much bigger jumps to achieve my dreams, but it starts with small steps.
SJ: As a ski teamer, do you consider yourself a role model? If so, how are you contributing?
KS: I guess I do consider myself a role model in some ways. I don't want to harp too much on the education thing, but I guess that's what I'm most proud of myself for so far in my career: my constant attempt to balance both of my very different goals. If I am a role model for any little freestylers, I would hope that they could look to that aspect of my life as an example. Also, on a completely different note, I'm starting to think of myself as a role model for another group. I have rheumatoid arthritis and,
obviously, judging from the fact that I can ski without reservation and function completely normally, I am so far doing really well with treatment. It would make me really happy to know that I have inspired hope in just one person with rheumatoid arthritis who wants to live an active lifestyle despite the disease.
SJ: What's your biggest dream?
KS: I want to win the Olympics! That's a big dream. Also, this is pretty nerdy, but I really want to write a historical fiction novel someday, preferably something kind of trashy and romantic but which will still require me to travel somewhere interesting to do the research and the writing.
SJ: Have any advice for future moguls skiers out there?
KS: Hmmm ... mostly just to have fun with it. For me, success comes more easily when I'm really psyched about skiing and about competing.
SJ: What do you plan to do with your Dartmouth degree?
KS: I'm trying to figure that out! I have millions of options in mind, and if you ask me this question a week from now I will probably have a completely different answer. Right now I guess I'm hoping to be an environmental lawyer, or a writer, or both.
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