Behind the Scenes at Media Summit

Behind the Scenes at Media Summit

By Riley Steinmetz

PARK CITY, Utah (Oct. 3) - Ever wonder where those heartfelt Olympic athlete interviews that flood the television during every Games come from? Every Olympic year, the U.S. Olympic Committee schedules a Media Summit, an event where media from around the world can hear from all of the top American athletes in one place. This year, the event was held in Park City.

“I think it’s very fitting having a Media Summit in Park City—it’s such a winter wonderland,” freestyle moguls athlete Pat Deneen said, “It’s a really great opportunity for us to share our stories. That’s been really fun.”

In addition to interviews, media also had the opportunity to attend demonstration events for several different sports. Nordic combined athletes Taylor and Bryan Fletcher were on hand at the USSA Center of Excellence in Park City to demonstrate cross country skiing to dozens of media outlets.

“I haven’t experienced anything like this before,” Taylor Fletcher said, “It’s fun to get your image and name out there to everyone who’s going to cover the Olympics. Every chance I have to get out there and share my story and our team’s goals is a good opportunity.”

For the athletes, it was about more that talking to reporters and camera crews. It was also an opportunity to come together as Team USA. Figure skaters, bobsledders, skiers, snowboarders and more were able to meet and make friends in different sports.

“We get to see a lot of our friends from different sports here,” cross country skier Andy Newell said, “It’s fun because we don’t see each other that much. It’s fun to bring the team together.”

Despite the busy schedule, though, the athletes still had time for a little fun.

“My favorite part was the comedian Pete Holmes,” ski jumper Lindsey Van said, “We got to just joke around and laugh.”

And while some of the athletes may have lacked certain skills for portions of the event, they still had a good time.

“I thought that the singing part was going to be really, really painful,” snowboarder Justin Reiter said, “And I’m sure for the people that actually have to end up hearing my voice, it will be painful, but shooting it was awesome. It was super fun.”

The Media Summit was an opportunity to showcase some of the athletes’ talents off of the slopes, as well. During a session with NBC, the teams got a chance to show off their singing voices.

“Andy Newell is the best singer on the cross country team,” cross country skier Liz Stephen said, “He actually just recorded his first CD. He’s amazing at guitar and singing and sings us all to sleep sometimes if we’re lucky.”

“[Singing] was a pretty interesting way to start off the morning!” alpine skier Alice McKennis said, “I’d say Laurenne [Ross] has the best voice on our team.”

Ultimately, though, the Media Summit was an excellent way for athletes to balance the demands of the media in an Olympic year with their intense training schedules.

“In a small period of time, I can meet with so many media and get a lot of things done,” snowboarder Chas Guldemond said, “That’s really important for me so that, moving forward, I can focus on my training.”

For more information and behind-the-scenes photos from Media Summit, follow the U.S. Ski Team, U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Back to School for TEAM Academy

Another original story for you!

Back to School for TEAM Academy
By Riley Steinmetz

PARK CITY, UT (Sep. 10) – For most teenagers, August and September are filled with a mix of anticipation and anxiety as another school year begins. For the students of the USSA TEAM Academy, though, the thought of starting a new school year was a relief.

“Last year, I was unbelievably nervous and didn’t know what to expect,” sophomore and alpine athlete Storm Klomhaus said, “But this year, I knew exactly what to expect and it was fun to see everyone and catch up.”

The USSA TEAM Academy opened its doors in August 2012 to a group of elite skiers and snowboarders. In May 2013, it graduated its first students, four freestyle and freeskiing athletes. It offers student athletes an alternative to traditional public schools and snowsports academies with its blended learning program consisting of both traditional classroom education and Advanced Academics online classes.

“I was in public school and then I went to online school on my own and I didn’t have anyone to help me,” junior and alpine athlete Isabella Wright said, “Coming here and having a totally different school program that works with our skiing is just a great benefit to our sport. You can set your own pace but you still have online teachers to help you and you have live teachers here at the Center of Excellence. It’s nice to have both.”

Both Wright and Klomhaus were part of the Academy’s opening class. During the Academy’s inaugural semester, it enrolled 22 students, with one teacher in the classroom to help them. For its second year, it has increased enrollment to 27 and added a second teacher. While the majority of TEAM Academy students participate in the program at the Center of Excellence in Park City, UT, some students also participate from the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center. Regardless of which campus they are at, though, students have been very enthusiastic about having a classroom experience that works with their athletic careers.

“They’re not really normal friendships that we form at TEAM Academy because we’re teammates,” alpine athlete Delilah Cupp said, “It’s a deeper relationship. We all support each other.”

“People think you miss out on the classroom experience because of the online learning, but it’s still school,” Klomhaus said, “We have classes where we all sit down together and talk and read. We have papers we have to write for Elaine [Peterson, a TEAM Academy teacher] and not just for our online teachers. We have a SAT/ACT prep course. It’s really the best of both worlds.”

Despite the curriculum’s flexibility, the students stressed that flexible schedules do not make for easy classes.

“It is challenging,” freestyle skier Ryan McElmon, who transferred to the Academy from a public school in Massachusetts, said, “It’s not like you come in here and breeze through things—it’s real school. People sometimes think online school is just a joke, but you have to work. Try to balance skiing and school—it’s not easy. Everyone thinks we have these mellowed out lives, but it’s not like that at all. We’re 100 percent go-go-go all the time.”

Often, the students balance a heavier workload than students at traditional schools due to their schedules. In order to let students focus solely on athletics while training or competing, the TEAM Academy staff helps students squeeze in more work when they are at home.

“We’re all working so hard on our classes to try to get as much done before we leave for Colorado in five weeks,” alpine athlete Megan McGrew said, “When you’re in Colorado for training and you’re skiing all the time, it’s impossible to get work done. We have the ability to get so much done right now and not have as much during the winter when we’re really busy.”

The staff is confident about the student athletes, as well. In the Academy’s inaugural year, students experienced victory at every level from NorAm events to World Cups and the X Games. Headmaster Dan Kemp is confident that these student athletes will continue to see great results.

“Going into the second year of TEAM Academy gives us a lot of excitement and a lot of energy because we have the successes of the first year,” Kemp said, “We saw that this is successful in helping students be the Best in the World in both the academic realm and the athletic realm. We are motivated to top those successes and support our student-athletes to the best of our ability.”

To learn more about USSA TEAM Academy and the athletes, visit http://ussateamacademy.org.

Hurricane for Hope

I'm starting to write a series of original content for work, so I thought I would share on here, as well! Last weekend, I had the privilege of volunteering at Hurricane for Hope, a fundraising event for The Speedy Foundation and the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation. Jeret "Speedy" Peterson was one of the first athletes I worked with in my career, back when I was a nervous intern at the USOC who had no idea what I was doing (photos here). He was kind, patient and definitely a great person to work with. When I heard that he had lost his lifelong battle with depression, it was tough. However, The Speedy Foundation is doing great work to carry on his legacy and work towards ending the stigma of mental illness. I was very proud to be a part of a great event.

Athletes Join Forces at Hurricane for Hope
By Riley Steinmetz

PARK CITY, UT (August 26) - U.S. Ski Team athletes past and present came together at the second annual Hurricane for Hope fundraiser to honor 2010 Olympic freestyle aerials silver medalist Jeret “Speedy” Peterson. The event, hosted by The Speedy Foundation and the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, raised funds for both mental health issues and youth sports initiatives. 

The Speedy Foundation was created to help eliminate the stigma of mental illness by increasing awareness, enabling discussions and creating a safe environment. The Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation works to increase youth involvement in winter sports. The two organizations joined forces for the evening’s events, which included a silent auction and Flying Ace All-Stars big air show. 

“We’re making sure to carry on his legacy and spread his message. He was very, very passionate about talking about mental health and mental wellness,” Emily Cook, a two-time Olympian and former teammate of Peterson’s, said, “It was very important to him that all of us come together and support each other and just talk.” 

And come together they did. Dozens of current and former U.S. Ski Team athletes came to Park City for the event, reuniting with teammates they hadn’t seen in years. Among the alumni athletes at the event were 1998 Olympic Champion Nikki Stone, 2009 World Champion Ryan St. Onge and two-time Olympic medalist Shannon Bahrke Happe. 

“I think when you lose somebody like that, you realize how many good people are in your life and you need to celebrate those people,” Happe said, “There are so many people that loved him and tonight brings everyone together to talk about the good times and the amazing things he did.” 

While the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team was well represented at the event, it wasn’t just aerialists coming out to support the cause. The missions of both the Speedy Foundation and the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation have resounded strongly among the athletes of a variety of sports. Speedskating Olympic Champion Derek Parra, snowboarder Graham Watanabe and cross country World Champion Kikkan Randall were all on hand, mingling with the event’s attendees and sharing their experiences with Peterson. 

“I had the pleasure of meeting Speedy at the Olympic Games and he was always such a positive spirit,” Randall said, “It’s great to see the sports community coming together to celebrate a great life and highlight such an important issue—getting kids involved in sports and supporting them through the many challenges they may experience.” 

Later in the evening, the Flying Ace All-Stars—a group Peterson was once a part of—performed for a large crowd. The big air show included trampoline stunts, fireworks and an impressive array of jumps. For Peterson’s friends and former teammates, the performance was the perfect conclusion to the evening. 

“Speedy was a wild man. He was never afraid to get up there and do his big tricks,” Peterson’s 2010 Olympic teammate Scotty Bahrke said, “We’re all here putting on a big show, doing some big jumps and remembering our friend.” 

“It’s been truly an honor for me to be part of something that is paying forward who Speedy was and how he lived his life,” Jana Lindsey, Peterson’s former teammate and current secretary for The Speedy Foundation, “He was always giving to other people and always really supportive of his teammates, so it’s fun see all of these people out here remembering Speedy, what he stood for and the champion that he was.” 

For more information or to get involved with The Speedy Foundation and the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, visit www.thespeedyfoundation.org or www.utaholympiclegacyfoundation.org.

Jordan Malone and Sho Kashima Article

I wanted to share an article I wrote with you all!  I got the chance to interview Jordan Malone, one of my favorite short track speedskaters, a few weeks ago about a really awesome project he took on to help Sho Kashima, a moguls skiier who was injured right before Vancouver, pay off his medical bills.  I'm pretty excited about finally getting to post the article...so check it out here: http://bit.ly/dk8XmF