I grew up in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. When I was 17, I had been dating a boy for three years who was a ski instructor at Playboy-all 250 vertical feet with two pylons in the middle. I soon realized he loved skiing more than me. So I marched (this same land was considered as 1 of 2 finalists for the United States Air Force Academy where I was appointed to being in the second class of female cadets in Colorado Springs which brought me originally to Colorado) myself over to Playboy to learn how to ski. A month later, I was teaching kids from the south side of Chicago at the beginning level how to slow down, stop, and turn-since I had just mastered the 3 lifesaving skills myself.  

It took me two full weeks to learn how to do a snow plow so I could slow down and stop. Turning was coming along. Ultimately I learned how an uber dedication to getting back up after falling yields a way to protect myself and others while I had on skis. 

I posed for the first print ad for Hot Dog Mountain-those 250 vertical feet which were the peak of the resort. We had to learn how to make lots of turns in that short run. Instead of serving drinks in bunny suits, we wore black and white tight suits like this in yellow, we served up survival on skis with lessons freshly learned.

There are both tragedy and delight within this tale. Tragically, my boyfriend was killed in a car accident that year. Delightfully, I was up for the 1988 Olympics in Aerial Ski Jumping. My teammate, Melanie Palenik, got the single woman's spot in the demonstration sport that year with a higher degree of difficulty doing inverts in Europe that winter. Inverted aerials were not permitted in the USA. With sufficient love we can go from humble beginnings to elite competing.

I will always love Brian for giving me the gift of the love of skiing. Skiing is a throughline of fun, self-awareness, and relishing speed ("Go fast or go home!" and height (my qualifying jump was a quadruple daffy-splits back and forth 74 feet in the air) and gravity (I always say "GRAVITY is my friend."), silence in sanctuary, global social conversations, and curiosities in nature. 

Those were rarified days. I'd go to high school during the day. Then I'd joyfully hop in my Buick Wildcat with no front seats and only 3 olive naugahide cushions with wheels on them so when I made the big left turn on the back road to get to Playboy I'd have to hold on or end up on the passenger's side while driving. And to top off those weeknights, after the lights turned off at the ski hill, we'd dance til closing at Olive Oyl's Disco-it was the 70's and dance music with Donna Summers was hot. 

I am now 65 and live in the ski resort of Vail, Colorado home to two of the world's most accomplished women skiers ever who had their humble beginnings right here: Mikaela Schiffrin and Lindsay Vonn. Go girls! 

- This story was prompted by a request in a TRAINING TUESDAY for World Pulse for us to tell a funny story about a job application. We were learning about website, profiles on LinkedIn, and using our World Pulse as an active CV. Thanks, Kirthi!