Tess Johnson

As The Inn at Riverwalk’s Resident Olympian, I’ve been glued to my TV the past week watching the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. I’m currently watching the US Women’s Gymnastics Team take Gold in the All-Around Team Event, and words can barely express my waves of emotion. It was, after all, Hannah Kearney’s Gold Medal performance in Vancouver in 2010 that ignited all my mogul skiing dreams. So naturally, watching the Olympics always brings so many emotions – when I was younger, it was a deep desire to one day shine in my own Olympic moment, and I’d watch every performance with wide eyes and pure inspiration. I’d watch each athlete bear their country’s flag with immense pride and dedication. I’d watch the intertwining dances of fierce competition and camaraderie play out between competitors and teammates. I’d watch with real belief that I would one day be in their position as well, and in 2018 at the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, I was. 

Achieving the Dream: My Olympic Experience

My Olympic experience was nothing short of a dream come true. I was 17 years old (one of five 17-year-olds on all of Team USA) and embraced every second the Games had to offer. Qualifying for the last spot of our 4-woman team at the last Olympic qualifier a mere 2 weeks before the Opening Ceremonies was incredibly exciting. Simply being at the Olympics with my incredible teammates meant being a part of something so much bigger than myself, and that was simultaneously humbling and breathtaking. Friends and family around the Vail Valley rallied to help raise money to send my family to South Korea on such short notice, and that is just one of many examples where this community has relentlessly stood by my side.

Skiing on the Olympic stage with my entire family at the bottom of the course was, by far, the most special moment of the Games, and I have so many people in this valley to thank for helping make it all happen for us.

Facing the Challenge: Competition & Resilience

The actual competition was a whirlwind of failure, pressure, redemption, nerves, and success all at once. I described it best in a journal entry I wrote the day after the event: 

“The first competition day, my nerves consumed my pride and my performance was a mere reflection. I put unnecessary pressure on myself and unfortunately skied to 22nd place which meant I would need to ski in the second qualifier to earn my spot in the top 20 finals. Even in training the next day, I wasn’t skiing the way I could. That night, after some intense visualization and recovery, I planned to make the necessary tactical adjustments on the top air landing to earn a better score. But perhaps more importantly, my mentality had shifted for the better. The angst in my eyes turned to confidence because I realized the day I had dreamt about since I was nine years old was finally here. I accepted that nerves were just a part of the deal. I embraced them with everything that I had. The roar of the crowd sent a chill running down my spine as I saw American flags waving against the falling snow. I was having so much fun. In fact, I was having the time of my life.”

Looking Ahead: A New Perspective

I look back upon this experience with the same pride it gave me at 17, but I am a competitor after all… After finishing in 12th place at the 2018 Games, and missing the 2022 Games by one spot, I’ve never been hungrier. Watching the Paris Games as an Olympian brings about a whole new set of emotions because I know what it means to be an Olympian – to realize your childhood dreams and represent something bigger than yourself. I know what it feels like to miss the Olympics – to be so close, yet not enough. I know how warm that hug with your family feels after a win or a loss, and I know the paradoxical heavyweight and beauty of an Olympic moment. I can’t wait to continue watching these breathtaking moments from Paris as they further inspire me to fiercely and passionately chase my own Olympic goals. 

Thank you so much for reading, and GO TEAM USA!!