Skiing into History. My Hall of Fame Honor Unveiled!
The perfectly pink night of celebration.
Skiing into History. My Hall of Fame Honor Unveiled!
Shannon’s April update
A little under a month ago, I was inducted into the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame. I’ve been trying now for quite some time to put into words what that means to me, and until now it has eluded me. Finding something that you truly love in this world is such a gift. To be able to do what you love for a living and be good enough at it to compete for your country around on the world’s biggest stage, the Olympics, is unimaginable. But to do all of those things, still love what you do decades later, and then to have your name in the history books amongst your heroes is beyond humbling and brings me to tears.
Donna Weinbrecht (yes THE mogul skiing goddess of the world, Donna Weinbrecht) flew all the way out to Utah to surprise me at the induction ceremony. Ever since I was 12 years old, I have looked up to her, not just because of how effortless she makes mogul skiing look, but also because her spirit and her smile light up this world. I wanted to be just like her whenever I clicked into my skis (ok, I’m still trying to be just like her). For my hero to fly all the way out here, to be here for this moment, was like Christmas morning when I was a child - but 100 times better!
To be able to celebrate with my entire family, loved ones, and best friends solidified a lot of things for me. Life for me has always been about following my heart, having fun, doing the right thing, being kind, being authentic, doing hard things, and never giving up. But in that moment on stage (with everyone else in pink too), I realized that life is truly about those you love and how you show up for one another throughout life. It’s easy for people to show up and celebrate, but it’s when we show up for one another during the hard times that matters most. I feel so incredibly lucky to be surrounded by people who have shown up for me when I’ve needed it the most. They’ve gotten me through those times when I didn’t think I could do it. They gave me the strength to keep going!
So this honor of being inducted into the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame isn’t really about skiing at all. It’s not about the awards and accolades I’ve received throughout my journey but to me, but a celebration intertwined with passion and people.
One regret I do have is that I don’t think I thanked people enough for what they did for me. Sometimes I expected them to “do” certain things for me, and now I know that they “chose” to do those things for me. It took me a long time to realize that there is a big difference and I’m forever grateful. So, thank you to all of you out there who have been a part of my journey, whether we’ve only met once or know one another well. It is because of all of you that I’ve been able to follow my passion for so many years. To my parents, to my family, to my coaches, to my teammates, to my friends, to my sponsors, to my supporters, to the U.S. Ski Team, FIS & USOPC, to my doctors & PTs, to my sports psychologists, to my hometown peeps, to the volunteers, and to everyone who gave me a high five or a hug. I see you, I thank you, and this is for ALL of you!!
Now I’m taking my love and passion for sports and skiing into a new venture, which I thought I would be able to tell you about, but it STILL isn’t quite there yet. So, I will keep putting my head down, working tirelessly, and doing the hard things until it’s time to reveal!!
Again, thank you for celebrating in this amazing honor. I hope I made/am making you proud! Cheers to our passion, to our people, and to being the best versions of ourselves we can possibly be!
It’s keynote time!
With all the excitement surrounding my recent induction into the Hall of Fame and the Paris Olympics just around the corner, I'm thrilled to bring my success story to your company or event audience. Time is flying by, and my schedule is filling up fast. Don't miss out on the opportunity to have my passion and excitement at your next event – reach out HERE to secure your spot now!