Dreaming. Getting knocked down. Fighting back. Sacrifice. Endless hours of workouts. Persistence and motivation. A Passion for athletics. Believing.

I couldn’t begin to quantify what I’ve invested into becoming an Olympian. Yet, after a lifetime of anticipation, my Olympic race was over in a mere minute and a half. In many ways, I’ll admit, it was a letdown… The Super G was held on a disappointingly flat hill, the race was postponed a day due to bad weather making it impossible for my brother and his girlfriend to stay in Europe to watch me compete, and at the end of the day I found myself way back in 28th place.

In spite of this, it’s really not very difficult to see, the big picture is actually brighter than I ever could have imagined. I began the season unsure both of whether I’d make the Olympic team, or whether I’d keep skiing very long past 2006 because of my knee. My strong results leading into the Games not only qualified me for the team, but also gave me tremendous confidence in my ability to compete with the best skiers in the world. My Olympic Super G race was in fact disappointing, but I walked away with a conviction I’d never had before: I want to race and win in Vancouver in 2010.

I had convinced myself prior to my race that I had a chance to medal in the Super G, but unfortunately factors beyond my own athleticism or control—such as body weight and fast skis—played a particularly large role in the outcome of the race. Of course these things are involved in every ski race, but the flat, easy hill especially favored the big girls and the good gliders. Being on the smaller side, and being a more technically inclined skier, I was against a lot of odds.

Odds aside, my run was good! I skied really well and I am proud of my performance. I did the best I could have possibly done for the given conditions. It was a small consolation that I was 5th fastest in the one split that involved some mildly technical elements. My coaches were happy with the way I executed, and I definitely left everything I had on the hill.

I didn’t get the result that I wanted, but just being at the Olympics re-fueled me to want to keep going… I LOVE skiing and I love being an athlete, but for a long time I wasn’t sure how long I really wanted to continue doing it. Finally becoming an Olympian gave me enough of a taste for me to want to be back again in four years. Plus, competing in Vancouver will be just like skiing in my back yard, and I’m confident that the course and conditions there will suit me much better!

Even though my actual Olympic race was short-lived, my entire Olympic experience was amazingly fun and memorable. Being a part of the Opening Ceremonies in Torino exceeded all of my expectations. It was a rush to march in with some of the best athletes from my country, and also to be a part of a spectacle that truly helps bring the world closer together. It was inspiring to watch the medal count grow along the wall of the U.S. quarters of the Olympic Village, and—bad food aside—living in the Village was, for the most part, really fun. I almost cried watching Ted win the combined, and we all had a blast celebrating his gold medal that night at the USA House in Sestriere!

Although the Olympics are finished, my season is still far from over. I now will travel to Norway for my last regular-season World Cup races in Hafjell. Then, after a short break at home, I will head back over to Sweden to race in the World Cup Finals Super G on March 16th. (Only the top-25 athletes in each discipline are invited to compete in Finals. I am currently ranked 12th in the world in Super G.)