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Junior World Championships Trip- Ariana Woods

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Hi! My name is Ariana and I am a biathlete as well as a full time student at Montana State University. I made the decision to continue to do biathlon while in college and while it has most definitely been a challenge to balance biathlon practice, dryfiring, staying healthy and working towards a Bachelor in Science all at the same time, so far I have managed it!

I raced at US Youth/Junior World Champ Trials Dec. 28th-31st in Jericho, Vermont. It was my 5th time going to Trials and the pressure I felt was immense! World Junior Championships are taking place in Lenzerheide, Switzerland this year and my whole family is already there to support my brother, Cale, as he races in the Youth Olympic Games so I really wanted to earn my spot and join them in that amazing country! I qualified for Junior Worlds in Slovakia last year and had a personal best result of 59th in the Individual race, but shortly after I got bronchitis from the poor air quality and found it very difficult to breath, let alone compete at the level I know I can. After 5 months of taking it easy my lungs finally recovered and I am more than ready to put everything out there.

I am proud of my determination to train this fall. I was unable to attend morning training sessions with my team, Crosscut Biathlon because I had Organic Chemistry 4 days a week from 9-10:30am which is right when the team does their intensity sessions. I found that you really need to want something if you are willing to take the time to go do the intensity sessions alone and I can't thank my friend Ian enough for tagging along with me when his full time school schedule allowed. I feel like this challenging semester has increased my mental resilience and really proved to myself how much I love this sport.

This past Monday I found myself in a precarious situation. I had 2/3 trials races completed and had yet to shoot well or do anything special out on the course. I had let my nerves get the best of me every time I entered the range. When you want something SO MUCH it is very difficult to turn off your brain and just trust the process. I went to bet Monday night with a determination and focus I have never experienced before. I closed my eyes and visualized all the targets going down and how I would ski every twist and turn on the course. When I woke up the next morning the nerves were still there but a resounding calmness relaxed my mind. While I was racing it felt like I had done everything before and I just let myself go into auto pilot and execute what I had visualized. I hit 9/10 targets and I put everything I had on the tracks. When I crossed the finish line I collapsed and smiled because I knew I had just done everything I possibly could to give myself a shot at making the team.

When I got the email that I had made the team my mom hugged me and we both cried tears of happiness. It was an amazing feeling.

     Paying for college as well as Biathlon is definitely a challenge and any help is MUCH appreciated!  The donations will go towards my airplane ticket, lodging, and other trip costs. Thank you so much for taking the time to read about my journey and I hope you have a good day and a splendid winter!
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    Organizer

    Ariana Woods
    Organizer
    McCall, ID

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