Are you afraid…to succeed?

We are proud to sponsor Rocky Mountain Freestyle and so proud that some of our kids’ friends made it to the Olympics!

In this spirit, I want to congratulate the athletes who took the leap to become Olympians.

This year, five Rocky Mountain Freestyle athletes are competing in PyeongChang: Tess Johnson, Morgan Schild, Jaelin Kauf, Emerson Smith, and Casey Andringa.

I love to ski and my heart pumps watching these Olympic athletes, particularly Casey Andringa and his family on their journey. The Andringa family grew up in the Winter Park freestyle community. After a surprise victory in Winter Park just before Christmas, Casey burst into the World Cup scene and earned his spot on the US ski team. He traveled with his family to PyeongChang just a few short weeks later to compete.

Last week, Casey won fifth place in men’s moguls, the best Olympic finish for an American moguls skier since 2010. In case you missed it, watch the video here. Video

The week before heading to PyeongChang, Casey’s sister, Heidi, handed out white T-shirts for the freestyle team in Winter Park with the phrase “Are you afraid?” above Casey’s signature.

Casey skis with a sticker on his helmet with the same mantra. When he didn’t make the US Ski Team last May, he considered quitting. Instead, he re-doubled his efforts and lived in a camper with his brother in Steamboat, where he dedicated the summer to ski jumping…into Bald Eagle Lake. The focused training paid off. Casey took the leap and performed a 3-rotation jump at the Olympics that had never been seen before.

Casey’s question isn’t about the fear of a set back or another injury. He’s had plenty of both. Instead, it’s about not quitting. It’s about embracing possibility and overcoming the fear of success.

I hope you enjoyed this story. I encourage you to “take the leap” with us and attend our tax event on February 28 and our Lunch and amp; Learn on March 1.

Create a beautiful week!