Left. Right. Left. Right again.

Getting lost in the rhythm of my turns was one of my favorite parts of skiing. Feeling the soft, powdery snow beneath my skis, I feel like I’m capable of anything.

I started skiing when I was three years old. My mom worked as a ski instructor as she also loved the snow. Ever since I was only just a little pink ball of a toddler, I enjoyed being different. While the other children in my group lesson were whining and complaining, I was busy rolling down the small incline. Since my rental skis were so short and my many layers of clothing made me just about as wide as I was tall, it was easy to somersault. I soon mastered the basic concepts of turning. And at the age of four, I was flying through the powder and trees with my mom. I remember falling once and realizing that the snow was taller than I was.

When I was seven, I decided I wanted to take my skiing to the next level and join a team. There were two options: racing, a popular event for girls, and freeskiing, an event heavily dominated by boys. Riding the chairlift with my mother, I would see freeskiers flying and spinning through the air. I immediately knew which team I wanted to join: freeskiing.

My mother agreed enthusiastically as she was worried I would ski too fast and get hurt while racing. As soon as I joined the team, I was placed in a low level. However, I soon climbed the rankings until I came to the highest group. At that point, I was the only girl on my team. I was put down at first; nobody wanted to ride the chairlift with me. But as time passed, I was slowly accepted, and made some of my closest friends. However, this entire process took three whole years.

In our world today, men are significantly more likely to participate or find careers in sports than women. Many people claimed that this was just because men’s muscles were naturally larger and stronger than that of the women’s. So over time, stereotypes developed to negatively define female athletes. Females were often denied athletic opportunities because of their gender.

The Title IX revolution helped to set things straight. Title IX is a portion of the United States Education Amendments of 1972. This statute’s purpose was to help protect against sex discrimination in both education and athletics. Even though Title IX has been on the books for 43 years and tons of progress has been made, sexism still exists.

How many of you play basketball or soccer?

The minimum play pay for a WNBA player in the 2015 season was $38,813; the minimum pay for an NBA player was $525,093. That means that the minimum pay for men’s basketball was over thirteen times more than that of the women’s. If you all remember Peyton’s speech, you might know that for winning the 2015 Soccer Women’s World Cup, the USA women’s team took home $2 million. In 2014, the US men’s team, finishing in the 11th place, took home $9 million. Even though the men’s team placed conspicuously lower, the income was still over four times more. The highest paid female athlete in the world is tennis player Maria Sharapova, who has held this title for nine straight years. Her income for endorsements, sponsorships and prize money is a hefty $29 million. That’s a lot of money, right? Well, yes, until you take a look at the world’s highest-paid male athlete, Tiger Woods. The golfer’s income was an astounding $78 million. Doesn’t seem too fair, now, does it? 

Title IX and the Equal Pay Act have now both been passed, so what’s the holdup? Traditionally and stereotypically, women are highly feminine, stay-at-home and mothering figures. The words “athletic” or “independent” don’t show up on that list. People are not accepting that women can be what they want to be yet, and they aren’t accepting that women can make their own choices or pave their own paths. But if we accept it, we are just one step closer to equality.

The sport of freeskiing includes boxes, which are wooden rectangular features whose tops are made out of fiberglass. Hard casts for broken limbs are also made out of fiberglass. A freeskier can also perform tricks on rails. Rails are exactly what they sound like. They were handrails, but as the sport gradually got more popular, they were made just for the purpose of sliding. Jumps are also a crucial element of freeskiing. An angle is built out of the snow, and when skied on fast enough, sends one flying into the air. 

While competing, I can’t help but notice the drastic difference in prize money between the male and female adult winners. The champion for women will often walk away with $600 while the champion for men will walk away with $12,000. I have been fortunate enough to have competed in three national championships competitions for freeskiing, winning two overall first places and one overall second place. 

Although being a girl in a male-dominated sport can be difficult, I’m actually thankful that I’ve had the experiences that I had.

Life is going to be a bumpy road for all of us, and building resiliency early on is important. My experiences have made me more tenacious and have taught me to meet my setbacks in life with open arms. In fact, after this encounter, I’ve become a better skier. However, there is no way that I could have done it without my supportive mother always behind me and my encouraging coach always, always behind me as well.

I encourage you all to step out of your comfort zone to show the boys that girls are just as powerful as they are.

Thank you.