I skied a few days growing up, but before moving to Salt Lake, I hadn’t touched skis in over 10 years. So honestly, I count my first real season of skiing when I moved here — and now I’m in my fourth season. Like a lot of people, I got hooked on the idea of backcountry skiing thanks to Cody Townsend’s The Fifty Project. I started watching it back in 2019 when the series kicked off, and it sparked something in me. Even before I made the move to Salt Lake, I bought a touring backpack — just trying to manifest that dream, you know?

The 23–24 season was when it finally happened. I took my Avy 1 class through the University of Utah with an awesome instructor, Will Ambler, and began my backcountry journey. What keeps me hooked is that every time I go out, I learn something new. No two days are ever the same — the snowpack is always changing with new snow, wind loading, sun exposure, or whatever else nature decides to throw at you. And being in the Wasatch means there are endless places to explore. There’s always a new line, a hidden stash, or a new challenge waiting out there.

I was never an endurance runner; in fact, I was a sprinter back in high school, and I could never stick to running on the road. I never understood others’ obsession with it. Maybe it's the constant distraction of busy roads or the endless stops at traffic lights that put me off. I’ve run the Salt Lake City Marathon, and it was an incredible experience — running alongside thousands of others and having my friends hand me bacon at mile 23 — but still, something about it just doesn’t click.

Trail running, on the other hand, puts me in a flow state. I’m often suffering way harder on the trails, climbing steep elevations and grinding up mountains — yet somehow, it keeps me coming back for more. Maybe it’s the privilege of being surrounded by the silence of nature or the fact that I have no one to blame for my current suffering but myself. Trail running has taught me to be kinder to myself and reminded me that no matter how tough life gets, I can always move forward, one small step at a time. This year, I'll be running my first ultra race through a scholarship from the Women of the Wasatch, where I got a race entry to the UTMB Speedgoat 50k taking place at the end of July. Wish me the best of luck!

Before moving to Salt Lake City, I have never heard nor ever seen anyone mountain bike nor gravel bike. Honestly speaking, I didn't know there was different types of biking, much less the variety of enjoyment you can get out of it. I am in no means an adrenaline junkie or masochist, but something about pedaling hard uphill and riding the flow downhill is something that is inexplicable.