Skiin' for a reason

Carolyn Freeman, a junior arts management major found skiing to be a calling at an early age. "My mom wanted me to be in a winter sport and I really didn't like basketball," Freeman said. "So, I started skiing. By ninth grade, I was hooked." For Freeman, like many skiers on the Phoenix men's and women's ski team, there was a love of adventure and adrenaline, but also, for nature. "When I was young and even now, I loved being in nature, I love the cold crisp air, everything is so beautiful," Freeman said. The Phoenix Nordic Ski team consists of nine females and 11 males. Though primarily from Wisconsin and Minnesota, there are a few from out of state, including New York. Freeman looked at numerous schools in the Midwest, and UW-Green Bay felt like the best fit for her. "I heard about Green Bay, it felt like the right fit," Freeman said. "Coach Butch Reimer was really nice and came across as a down to earth coach." Skiers like all athletes have individual accolades and reach personal milestones, but they also have a team mind set and outlook like numerous sports teams. Freeman stated that a sense of team is a primary way to do the best you can. "You want to push yourself, but you want to push yourself for your team, your results affect everyone else," Freeman said. For the skiers, one of the most frustrating aspects of being a student athlete and a skier is that not many students or community residents know much about the team or the tradition. "Sometimes, I think the school does not know a whole lot about us," Freeman said. "I think over the years, the school has learned to appreciate us. We have had great athletes come from Green Bay and who are here now." To raise awareness and continue the strong tradition of Nordic Skiing, which has been developed, all the skiers are continuing to push themselves and their camaraderie with each other. As the team captain, along with Lindsay Marshall, Freeman for the women and Santi Ocariz for the men look for the team to continue to come together and push each other. As for the teams goals, the captains hope to see the team continue to improve, be consistent and finish in the top two or three at regional's. Freeman mentioned every year there is at least one or two skiers who move onto nationals, but there is always a need to keep improving. "I hope to make back to nationals and hope to finish in the top 20 this year, last year I did not have the best race," she said. "Usually it's just our families who come to our races," Freeman said. "It is always nice when people say 'good luck' this weekend. It is always nice to be recognized, but it's also nice to blend in, because we are student-athletes." When asked about the Olympics, Freeman laughed, saying she didn't quite know about that possibility. "Right now my goal is to improve every year in the ways I need to, and hopefully meet my goals," she said. "If the Olympics would happen, that would be amazing, but if not, that would be OK too. Freeman stated that the most difficult aspect of skiers is the physical pain, which comes with using all muscles and the entire cardiovascular system. Some skiers are affected in different ways, but Freeman said her difficulty is getting nervous before a race. "I love it because every aspect of the sport is different," she said. "Everyone has skis and everyone has poles, but whoever has the best wax one race might beat someone who has a better physical build, anyone can win on any given day." The Nordic Ski teams' next race will be the CCSA Championships, Saturday, Feb. 13 and Sunday, Feb. 14 at Ishpeming, Michigan.