HANNAH FOLLENDER

One of my goals this season is to land a backflip on snow. I dropped in at Snogression in Salt Lake City to test out my airborne abilities. The best part was the Snowflex ramp with "hyper-speed". It's as close to the real thing as you can get without rock-solid crash landings. #preseason #goals #snogression #flips #backflips

#monsterfactory #mountainathlete #training #preseason

“Mind is everything...muscles are just pieces of rubber. All that I am, I am because of my mind.” -Paavo Nurmi, 9-time Olympic Gold Medalist At the end of last ski season, I finally admitted to myself that my greatest weakness is my mental game. I refused to go another season with a weakness than can be corrected. So, I turned on my research-nerd side and read dozens of books and scholarly journals, and spoke to sports psychologists and professional skiers, to help me underst

Who knows where I'll be in 10 years? I don't. I'm potentially missing out on years of significant financial gains by pursuing skiing rather than a higher degree and a conventional career. This could all turn out to be a huge waste of my time; this could also lead to something great. The future holds no guarantees, and the idea of "waiting till later" can only lead to regret. So bring on menial serving jobs and serious gym time, I don't know if it's worth it, but I know it's d

I felt feverish. My heart raced as I wiped sweat from my forehead. The pangs of sickness in my stomach accompanied star-spotted vision. My mouth itched. I wanted to throw up, though at the same time I wanted more. I had just taken my first bites of a delicious (gluten-free) gooey chocolate chip cookie from my favorite bakery. My 30 days of sugar-free, carb-free eating had come to a close. I completed my personal challenge and decided to indulge in a small treat. My body wasn’

Follow the Freeskiers (and Boarders) of Mountain Athlete as we work, both in and out of the gym to acheive our goals as professional athletes. The first episode of the web series drops mid-August, for now check out the trailer here! #monsterfactory #mountainathlete #goals #preseason

Transitions are hard. The end of ski season is the worst. I wish I could wax poetic on my latest “gnarly” mountain bike sesh, or talk about how I did a “rad” trad climb (is that even right?), but I can’t. I am a winter child through and through. Summer hiking is nice; actually, I love hiking, but it pales in comparison to the love I have for the sensation of skis blasting through snow. Come powder, corn, or ice I’ll ski them all. Alas, it is summer and all I can do right now