Clubhouse Chronicles: AVSC senior spotlight – Nordic

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 some responses from our graduating Nordic athletes: Juniper Anderson (JA), Niamh Nelson (NN), and Nina Villafranco (NV).

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

NN: I have two favorite memories from AVSC. The first was during my first week on AVSC, when we went on an over-distance run on Mt. Sopris. I had been in the valley for less than a week, and it is by far one of the coolest things I have done with AVSC. In difficult situations, mentally and physically, it forces you to create fast bonds, and that’s what this did. The second was at our summer camp last year at Wagon Wheel, the Hamiltons’ family ranch. It was a week filled with playing in the lake and wonderful Colorado adventures. It was beautiful and really embodied the soul of teamwork that AVSC strives to build.

JA: There are so many memories that have made me love AVSC. One of my favorites was a random afternoon; we were supposed to be doing speeds, and instead, someone picked up a snowball and threw it. Before long, we were racing along the trails pelting and shoving each other into the snow. Despite hearing screams from those who were being pushed, the whole thing was a fit of giggles and laughter — a true enjoyment of the silliness. 

NV: The ski team went on a hut trip to Fritz and Fabi in my freshman year. August told us to prepare for a 3-hour run, but after nine and a half hours and 21 miles, the hut still wasn’t in sight. Every one of my teammates was out of food and water, but we took turns trading riddles and memories, collecting wildflowers, and sharing stories. To this day, when I think of AVSC, I think of the grit and determination, the love of sport, and the positivity that I saw high up in the Colorado mountains that day. 

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

NN: Teamwork has been influential in integrating into the Roaring Fork community. The acceptance and value of friendship and inclusivity in AVSC are the reasons I have been able to get as far as I have as an athlete and person. The community that AVSC has built is the most welcoming and accepting community I have been a part of. I have learned what it means to be a good person through the friendships I have built on AVSC, along with all the wonderful role models who work so hard to create a sense of teamwork. 

JA: The concept of teamwork seems weird for an individual sport, but I found this to be why I loved it. The community that Nordic skiing and AVSC has given me is like no other. The people were always there for me and held me when I needed it the most. They have made me laugh and pushed me to work as hard as I can. Being there for each other and working together has made this sport into a place that is amazing to be in; I could not be more grateful for that. I hope to continue to bring this concept of kindness and teamwork into the next chapter and the next community. 

NV: I think that skiing is often viewed as an individual activity, but the longer I have raced with AVSC, the more I’ve realized how much of a team sport it is. Whether it’s watching the younger girls make their first nationals, helping a teammate out of a stressful situation, or finishing a hard interval set together, my AVSC teammates have impacted me more than anything else. I’ve found family at the club that I will carry with me for my whole life.

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?

NN: I am excited to create new friendships and adventures in the new places I know Nordic skiing will take me. AVSC has allowed me to learn how to overcome challenges, not only physically. AVSC has taught me what it means to have a growth mindset and open up to challenges. My comfort level with accepting challenges and finding solutions has grown tremendously, not only from my own work but the examples set by my coaches and peers. I’ve learned that a lot of opportunities will appear if you just say “yes.”

JA: I am excited to see new places and get some new experiences. AVSC helped me become a resilient person who can adapt to changes and be ready to take on the next thing. They have made sure that I feel supported but have also pushed me out of my comfort zone and made me able to do the hard things.

NV: I’m really looking forward to continuing my ski career at the collegiate level! AVSC has brought me the best coaching in the world, incredible teammates, and a dedication to sport that I hope will take me far. 

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?

NN: I only joined AVSC last year, but I would tell my younger self to have confidence in being able to complete the goals she sets for herself. Failure does not dictate a person, or a career, and if you want it, go and get it. 

JA: I would tell myself not to take it too seriously. I found myself stressing over the small things that I can’t remember and that didn’t really matter. I don’t remember those things; what I do remember are the moments of laughter and joy. The pain and the stress are not what matters, so don’t worry about them too much because what matters is the fun and the journey. 

NV: I would tell myself to lean in; AVSC is there to support you in any way you need, and I found myself at my happiest when I took complete advantage of that. My coaches and teammates have impacted me in indescribable ways, and I’m so happy to have immersed myself in those experiences. 

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

NN: If I could describe my AVSC journey in one word, it would be champions. Not only am I a champion for meeting my goals and skiing fast, but I believe that AVSC’s mission could be defined by the word champions. AVSC embodies the meaning, which is: a person who fights or argues for a cause or on behalf of someone else. My teammates and coaches not only fight for the cause of the love of sport but the cause to make wonderful human beings and a wonderful accepting place of comfort, growth, and the ability to discover. I believe that AVSC stands for champions. 

JA: Community. The community is what really made me love AVSC. Everybody was also so kind and there for me. Despite leaving, I still think of the people as my community, my family, and my home. 

NV: If I had to describe my time at AVSC in one word, I would say formative. I grew up in the club; I first joined in the third grade when the Nordic program wasn’t even attached to AVSC. The mentors, experiences, and adventures that I’ve had as a member of the AVSC Nordic team have molded my actions, ethos, and being entirely. 

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

NN: In the fall, I will be attending Bates College where I will ski on their team, major in Environmental Science with a focus on Marine Biology and minor in Anthropology. I will forever hold the values of AVSC close to me, and its impacts are everlasting on me and my family. 

JA: I am excited to attend Colorado College in the fall.  

NV: I am headed to Colby College up in Maine to ski Division One!