“I really enjoy paddling, when I have time for it. Time spent outside is always good. I live on the Saranac Chain [of lakes], so pretty much in my backyard, I have a huge amount of water that’s open to me to use. I’ve been using it since I was really little, and I’ve grown quite fond of it. It’s a great way to get away from the hustle and bustle of school or work, and it’s incredible to be out in the Adirondack backcountry.
“I’ve skied since I was two, and I joined NYSEF when I was seven. NYSEF was great. It gave me an identity – I had never been one for team sports – and it allowed me to get out and do something physical, which I really needed, and it gave me a passion. I also built a really strong group of friends through it. I had a lot of injuries, and the support that came from NYSEF when I had those injuries was remarkable. When I was seven, I took a wrong turn on Mount Hood glacier and ended up lost on the wrong side of Mount Hood, in territory known for crevasses and mountain lions. I don’t remember much about it, except I remember being very scared, and very tired after hiking out of it, which took me 3 or 4 hours with skis on my back.
“I was always interested in climbing, but I was never able to get out and do it. And then NOC came around at the time when I was thinking about ending my [ski] racing career. The only thing that I was really on the fence about was leaving a racing community that I’d been in since I was little. As I was deciding what to do, I spent a day climbing with NOC and felt very welcomed by the group and by Mr. O’Connor, and I decided that NOC would be a better fit for me than the ski team and that there would be a significantly lower chance of injuries for me.
“Downstairs Boat Rental is a company I started two years ago that specializes in short-term boat rentals on Mirror Lake. People come from all over the world to paddle on Mirror Lake, and the purpose of the boat rental is to get them on the water and enjoy the water for what it is. Owning DBR is a huge responsibility and balancing it with school can be very difficult at times. While it’s also a huge responsibility, it has also been a privilege to be able to have the experience of running something like that. It’s taught me more about the adult world than I ever really thought I would know, and it’s provided an excellent lens into what it really means to own a business, and how much work it entails. Before I started, I had no idea how much it would take.
“I’m really excited for the ski season. I’m lucky enough to be going to Utah for two weeks in January, and I’m super excited to get out and ski somewhere new, and that’s what I’ve been thinking about in terms of this year. Otherwise, I’m really excited to see what we can do with NOC. I’m amazed by the caliber of the trips that NOC is attempting this year. I’m also really excited for college. I don’t know where I’m going to go yet, but I’m excited to get out and see the world a bit, and experience new cultures.”
As told to Gus Garvey ’25. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.
