For the next two weeks, our athletes will be thinking about how “Heart” affects their performance and their lives. ‘Heart’ is one’s innermost character, feelings, or inclinations, and it can be the driving force for success. To have heart represents love and passion for an action or activity. It is the fuel for putting one foot in front of the other when it seems like there is no way to move forward, and doing so with passion and courage. Our athletes are being asked to think about how heart drives them on snow, and how it propels their actions outside of skiing. SSWSC Athlete Aspen Bennett-Manke is a great example of an athlete who leads in life, and on the snow, with ‘heart.’ At 13 years old, and in the Nordic Combined U14 program, Aspen is noted for her positive energy, happiness, and compassion when she’s with her fellow teammates. She said “A Sport with no heart is just a sport.”

Think about what drives your decisions. Do you allow your heart to keep you moving forward, with passion and purpose? ‘Heart’ comes from a desire to achieve. Letting go and performing from the heart can transform a person’s energy from fear of what is not possible to joy in what is possible.