Our last out of the three racers who qualified for the Vertical Challenge Finals and went to the NASTAR Championship is Robyn Loverro. Robyn raced in the women’s skiing category, ages 45-49.
Although Robyn has a lifelong relationship with skiing, she stumbled upon the Vertical Challenge by chance. Robyn was dropping off her daughter at Pats Peak for training and saw that the Vertical Challenge was at the mountain that day. After suffering an extensive knee injury years before, this winter she decided to focus on “pushing herself to feel more like herself again.” Ultimately, she made the decision to sign up to race. It was her first time racing in 20 years. She came in first place in her category and proved to herself that she could still enjoy the sport after so many years.
Robyn has been skiing since she was two years old. Her dad worked in ski patrol in Pennsylvania, where she grew up. She learned to ski at Ski Liberty in PA. Her parents found it easier to put her on a ski team than find a babysitter and ski racing has been in her life ever since! Robyn raced all throughout high school, went on countless ski vacations as a family growing up, and now her daughter takes after her, racing at Pats Peak.
When Robyn was asked what she enjoyed about skiing she responded that it truly is one of her favorite things to do. She described how she loves being outside because it “frees your mind”. She said that “every run is a new challenge” and “each day is different because the weather changes and you never know what you’re going to get”. She admires how the sport forces you to “push yourself” and become a better skier each time. Robyn said she specifically loves ski racing as a sport because it teaches you “grit and how to overcome changes.” She mentioned how seeing her daughter become much more confident at the sport each year is so rewarding.
After racing with the VC, Robyn was notified that she got gold with NASTAR and she decided to go to Colorado to race in the championship. She wanted to continue her recovery journey and see if she could ski out west. They stayed in Snowmass and they were surprised at how many racers there attended. She said that “everyone was very friendly and encouraging.” She commented on “how well run the event was” and she appreciated the picnic lunch they put on for everyone. Robyn was inspired by the wide age range of skiers that participated. Seeing skiers in their eighties was inspiring that they continue to do what they love. Robyn ended up placing third in the gold group and skied the following days leisurely.
When asking if Robyn would recommend these events to others, she immediately said yes because “they’re open to anyone” and all abilities. She said she saw people who “race on a regular basis and people who have never raced before.” She said “it’s so inclusive with all the different categories and is a good way of learning from others”.
We want to thank Robyn and all our other racers for taking a chance on the Vertical Challenge and participating in our program. We truly operate for the benefit of the community and hope others will continue to take a chance on us!
If anyone has any other stories involving their experience with the Vertical Challenge please email [email protected] !
