What was the highlight of your season? Eastern High School Championships. New Hampshire had a solid second place finish and it was a lot of fun being a senior on the team.
Who was the unsung hero of your team? It’s a small group and we’re all fairly equal but this year it was probably Seth Valpey. His finishes as our number four guy were what kept us in the lead at most meets even if he didn’t always get attention for it.
What was the biggest surprise of the season? Losing Josh at state championships. He had a great season and qualified for the U16 junior national team which ended up being the same week as champs. Without him, we didn’t have enough racers to score and couldn’t repeat our last couple banner seasons.
If you could improve high school Nordic skiing in New Hampshire, what would you do? Build it up at the younger levels. A lot of people don’t have the chance to try it until high school and by then they’re at a competitive disadvantage.
Do you have any sports superstitions? If so, what are they? I always ride to races on the left side of the bus but that’s not a superstition because it’s real.
What’s your favorite pre-game meal? I don’t really have one. I kinda eat whatever and just go for it.
If someone was going to make a movie of your season, who would play your coach? Who would play you? Pre-season had a bit of a Rocky training montage vibe so maybe a young Sylvester Stallone would play me. I’m not so sure about Nina though because I can’t think of anyone who could quite do her tenacity justice.
What was the last gift you gave someone? I gave my brother the gift of a place to sleep when he ran out of money on spring break.
What is the funniest thing that has happened to you recently? I tried to ski on ice and ended up wiping out pretty badly. This was one of those things that only becomes funny a little while afterwards.
Describe the color yellow to someone who is blind. It’s like looking at what being a little underwhelmed feels like. Think the feeling you get when you order something that seems cool online and end up being disappointed by what it actually is.
A penguin walks into your school wearing a sombrero. What does he say and why is he there? I don’t think penguins know many words but he’d definitely have some points about climate change and how it threatens his beloved sport of Nordic skiing.
If you could have dinner with any three people, who would they be? And what would you serve? Elon Musk, Angela Merkel and Barack Obama. I personally would want Indian curry but I think I would ask my guests first before coming to any conclusive decisions.
If you got a $1 million to start a company, what would you do? I’m not 100% sure but I’d like to do something with renewable energy. Not only is there a growing market for green alternatives to fossil fuel but I feel morally obligated to do what I can for the environment as well.
If you had to go on a talent show, what would you do? I’d definitely do that thing where you shoot an apple off of someone’s head with a bow and arrow. I’ve never tried it before but I’m sure it would go well.
What inspires you? My insignificance. I’m just one person out of 7.5 billion on a small planet orbiting a very average star. My failures can’t possibly have an impact on the big picture so there’s no real reason to be afraid to try anything.