Very little time to train because weather conditions have been downright nasty for racing down a mountain hasn’t stopped Rachel Davis from being pumped about life on skis.
Davis, a 16-year-old Level 1 student at Corner Brook High, is one of the fledgling athletes with the Marble Mountain alpine ski racing team who is competing at the 2018 national ski championships this week in Collingwood, Ont., and also earned a spot on Western’s alpine ski team for the 2018 Newfoundland and Labrador Winter Games in Deer Lake.
“I’m glad that it’s back open and we’re getting more training,” Davis said from Collingwood Wednesday where Marble’s Gerry Byrne and Paige Hickey are also testing their mettle against the best in the country.
Rainstorms. Snowstorms. One minute it’s raining and then it turns to snow.
It’s been a roller-coaster season for alpine skiers because the hill was closed more than it was open for a month or so while Davis and her teammates were trying to get on the hill for another season of races.
She went to her first race of the year in January without any training under her belt because the hill was closed and she’s been to a total of three races out of province to help prepare for nationals.
“It’s definitely been a challenging season,” she said.
She earned her way to Collingwood based on her results at major races in Atlantic Canada from the previous season.
She’s competing against the best in the country and has enjoyed seeing how athletes from the bigger provinces like British Columbia and Alberta go about training and what they do to be so fast coming down the hill.
It’s never about winning for her. It’s more about pushing herself to reach her true potential and having fun while doing it.
“I’m having lots of fun. It’s definitely a great experience,” she said.
Davis, daughter of Corner Brook’s Sam and Cindy Davis, is expected to arrive home from Collingwood on Saturday.
Alpine skiing at the provincial Winter Games takes place during the second half of the week so Davis will be home in time to represent the West, but she’s not entirely sure if she will be on the mountain for the Games.
“I’ve been missing a lot of school for out-of-province races already and I just have a lot on my plate right now,” she said.
