Megan learned to ski at Alta Ski Area and joined the Park City Ski Team at age 8. She made the U.S. Ski Team after her senior year at the Winter Sports School.
“I was both good at it and it gave me a sense of purpose,” she says of competing. “I loved pushing the limits in the mountains; even today, the mountains are my happy place.” Megan worked her way up through the ranks, finally earning a spot competing at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
“I’d been dreaming of it for a long time, so I was so proud to make it to the Olympics,” Megan says. “The Olympics has bigger energy than any other race I’ve ever been to. Walking into the opening ceremonies was something I’ll never forget. I was so proud to represent my country.”
It had taken a lot of literal blood, sweat, and tears to get to the 2010 Olympics, so after being cut in 2012, she was ready to do whatever it took to get to the games again — team or no team.
“I had to reconnect with my love of skiing. I used my passion for skiing to fuel me through the hard times; to persevere to the Olympics and other competitions along the way,” she says. “The runs where you know you threw down the best times you could, that’s what made it all worth it.”
To get to the Olympics, athletes must first accumulate enough points in World Cup competitions. So, as an independent athlete, Megan worked tirelessly to raise money so she could travel the World Cup circuit in Europe with a coach. She found generous donors in Park City who cared about ski racing and believed in going after your dreams in the face of adversity.