The crisp morning air sent chills down my spine as we lined up behind the start line. Echoes of announcers and excited parents with cow bells rang through my ears, a murmur of voices filling my head. I could feel the nervous pit of adrenaline in my stomach as I glanced towards my younger sister and teammate, Kate, for encouragement. I had always lacked that insatiable drive for competition that everyone else seemed to have, so I couldn’t decide whether I was more nervous for the race itself or excited for it to be over. Standing at the starting line at age 12, I would have never imagined how the Vail Kids Adventure Games could have become the highlight of my summer, teaching me more about competition and community than anything else I had endeavored throughout my youth.
Read More