Clubhouse Chronicles: AVSC senior spotlight – Alpine

As the 2024-25 winter season comes to an end, we want to congratulate and celebrate all of our graduating Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club seniors! To celebrate their careers and dedication to AVSC, we asked each of them a few questions about their time with the club and what lifelong values they will carry with them from their time with AVSC.

Below are responses from our graduating Alpine athletes, Eden Bohart (EB), Bradyn Galloway (BG), Parker Kendrick (PK), Morgan Phillips (MP), and Stella Stinnet (SS)

AVSC: What’s a favorite memory or defining moment from your time at AVSC that you’ll always carry with you?

EB: I don’t think there is one defining moment — rather, many moments when my coaches pushed me to overcome a challenging moment — particularly racing speed — I crashed hard in my first downhill and wanted to quit the race, and they helped me overcome my fear, and I ended up doing well. I will never forget how everyone was so encouraging.

PK: One spring in U16, Will McDonald took a small group of us to an out-of-region race in Snowbird. This stands out to me because we were able to follow the freeze-thaw cycle perfectly; racing in the morning on the ice and free skiing all afternoon in the slush. Some mornings, Will would head out in front of us to scout some lines, so later he would take us on a wild ride of blind jumps and drops that only he knew what was behind.

SS: My favorite memory from this past season was all of our karaoke nights.

BG: Being a new athlete on the team, I didn’t know what it would be like; but having such amazing coaches and teammates who became good friends made me have a season to remember.

MP: I will always carry the many fun times and memories I have made with the teams I have been a part of all these years. But my absolute favorite memories this year were at every race where our girls team and coaches would do hours of karaoke. And I can’t forget about the cookie medals!

AVSC: AVSC is built on commitment, integrity, and teamwork. Which of these values has shaped you the most, and in what way?

EB: The importance of teamwork and supporting one another is one of the values I will take from my experience at AVSC. Though skiing is viewed as an individual sport, it was the support of teammates that helped me and others get through hard moments. We cheered each other on and motivated one another when things weren’t going well. I learned at AVSC that skiing is truly a team sport.

PK: For me, the most important core value of AVSC is teamwork. Even though skiing is an individual sport and specifically ski racing, the race is against the clock, we rise, improve, and grow as a team. If one person wins, we all celebrate — this, combined with living together most of the season, builds an environment more akin to a family than a team.

SS: All of the athletes in our group really supported each other every day in training and racing. We push each other to work hard to reach our goals and have fun at the same time.

BG: Commitment to ski racing has always been important to me, but the commitment of my coaches helped push me to another level.

MP: Commitment — showing up, even though I may not be the best, the time I put in gives results, and I have improved so much by just showing up and working hard. Commitment resonates with me the most. I may not be the best ski racer on the team, but I have consistently shown up and put in the hard work to achieve my goals. This commitment for over ten years has been a major influence on me and the person I am today.

AVSC: What are you most excited about as you look ahead to what’s next? How has AVSC helped prepare you for that next step?

EB: I’m excited to start college, and though I won’t be skiing, all the lessons I learned at AVSC — dedication, hard work, perseverance and commitment — all life lessons that I will take forward.

BG: I am excited to take my post-graduate year to pursue skiing and go to college the year after that. AVSC has helped push me and give the dream of skiing for a college.

MP: I am excited to see how skiing fits into my life when I get to college and beyond. I love the sport, and I want to keep skiing for the rest of my life. AVSC has helped me to improve as an athlete but also how to become a better person and caring friend, which will help me as I create a new path.

AVSC: If you could go back and share one piece of advice with your younger self when you first joined AVSC, what would it be?

EB: If I could tell my younger self one thing, it would be to enjoy the journey — that doing well in a race isn’t the most important thing.

PK: I would tell a younger kid that they need to stay focused on the joy of the sport and not just performance and results. Especially for younger kids, it is important to have the most fun possible because results will come, and no one remembers that kid that peaked in U12. When you lose the joy of the sport, everything becomes harder, so the most important thing is to stay positive because joy is the greatest motivation.

BG: If I could give advice to my younger self, I would say: Remember to always push as hard as you can but make sure to always have fun.

MP: Ski racing isn’t just about going fast and winning races, it is also important sometimes to find yourself and your people while pursuing a love for the sport.

AVSC: Can you describe your AVSC journey in one word or phrase? Why does that word or phrase feel right to you?

EB: Inspirational: I chose this word because it encompasses everything I learned — aspire to be strong, aspire to be a good teammate, aspire to compete, aspire to commit.

SS: I’d say my AVSC journey could be described with change. This is my first year with the team, moving here to train, so it’s my first year in Aspen in general. Being here has been one big change for me but in the best way.

BG: Highs and lows, I had so many great memories with the team and my skiing, but I had those days where it felt tough. Having surgery at the start of the season felt like such a disappointment but ended up being such a great change for me.

MP: Unpredictable. I could never have imagined how my journey would have played out, but AVSC has definitely provided some of my best experiences so far. I have been able to travel and ski in four continents and meet skiers from all around the world while developing my skills and passion.

AVSC: What’s coming up for you after graduation — college, travel, new adventures? We’d love to hear what’s on the horizon!

EB: I’m off to Northwestern in Chicago in the fall and hope to find the same sense of community that AVSC provided me.

PK: I am excited to say that next year, I will continue to ski with my FIS family during my gap year representing AVSC with pride.

SS: This year with AVSC has been a dream come true for me being able to be a part of this team. I’m planning to do a post-graduate year with AVSC.

BG: I am taking a year off to pursue skiing then heading to college.

MP: I am going to Middlebury College next year. I start in the fall, so my summer is going to be full of adventures, travel, and work before I am off!