As Allie Lim (10) stood at the starting gate, her skis rested on the icy slopes of the Mona ParkYongPyong ski resort for the International Junior Ski Competition in Pyeongchang, Korea. The competition spanned three days (February 11-13) where the first two days focused on technical skiing, and the last day was GS (giant slalom) racing. She was in line for the short-turn segment of the competition and the course looming before her looked like a daunting blanket of blinding white snow. She could faintly follow the perfect paths on the slopes left by previous competitors, a chilling reminder of the skill and precision she needed to perform well. 

However, looking down at the course brought back memories of her successful experience in the same competition last year. As soon as she launched herself down the course, the fear was quickly replaced by focus. At the end of the competition, Lim pushed through and finished second overall in the Junior ski competition.

This was Lim’s second time competing and she said it was a vast improvement from the conditions last year.

“Last year, the snow conditions were bad due to heavy snowfall, making visibility difficult,” she said. “There was too much snow piled on the course, which made the course dangerous, causing many participants to fall. However, this year, the improved snow and weather conditions allowed me to do better. With better snow, I was able to perform well in both the short turn and free short turn events.”

Since her dad introduced her to the International Junior Ski Competition in Korea last year, competing there had become something she looked forward to.

“My dad told me [about the Junior Ski Competition in Korea] so I just wanted to try it for fun last year,” Lim said. “I enjoyed it, so I competed this year too..”

In preparation for the competition, Lim consistently went to Mammoth on the weekends with her family and practiced for the level test required for her to participate.

“[To qualify for the competition] you need a “level test” that has to be approved by a professional before signing up,” she said. “To prepare for the competition, there were four categories, so I would practice each one of them at Mammoth.”

Although this was her second time competing, Lim still struggled adjusting to the environment around her.

“I was competing on a higher slope and there were a lot of good professional skiers, so it felt very competitive [compared to the casual skiers in America]” she said. “There was jet lag, so I would fall asleep during the day but then I would stay awake at night, so that was hard.”

Lim said there were both challenges and  moments where everything fell into place during the competition.

“I think the competition went pretty smoothly overall,” she said. “While waiting in line for my turn, the wait felt really long, but once I started skiing, the run felt incredibly short. The first day went well, but on the second day, there was some light snowfall, which caused small clumps of snow to form on the course, occasionally slowing me down.”

Recalling a specific moment in the competition, Lim said she experienced a moment where muscle memory took over, naturally guiding her movements. .

“During my turn, I experienced a ‘blank mind’ moment, where everything felt automatic,” she said. “During the ‘up’ timing, I reminded myself to wait until my skis were aligned with the fall line (which means waiting until my skis point downhill) before pressing down to make a clean turn.”

Lim plans to continue competing in the International Junior Skiing Competition until she graduates and wants to continue skiing in her free time in college.

“I love skiing because I like being on the snow, and it feels good to improve at something that I am passionate about,” she said. “I have always liked speedy things, and skiing down the slopes gives me the same feeling.”

Reflecting on her experience in Korea, Lim said she learned valuable lessons that she will carry on to her future competitions.

“The competition taught me that when I am nervous, things don’t always go as planned,” she said. “I’ve learned that it is important to stay calm and keep going forward. Consistent practice is key and improvements do not happen overnight, they grow gradually.”