CATCHING UP WITH...
Shannon Bahrke Happe
cial media.
“I want to inspire the next generation of athletes and thought this
is the perfect opportunity to do that,” said Bahrke Happe, who
turns 31 on Nov. 7 and has been running her own business based
in Salt Lake City — Silver Bean Coffee — since retiring in 2010.
“I hope to do as much as I can, whether that’s onsite at events
cheering them on, answering questions or concerns, talking to
them about nutrition, or what to do about PR and talking to the media,” she said. “Basically, just giving them a taste of what it is going
to be like when they get to the biggest stage, which is the Olympic
Games, and how to drive their careers up until that point.”
Bahrke Happe and the 14 other athlete role models will join three
official athlete ambassadors for the WYOG — alpine racers Lindsey Vonn and Benjamin Raich as well as Olympic figure skating
champion Yu-Na Kim of South Korea — in mentoring the kids.
Bahrke Happe also emphasized the potential value and benefits
to these young athletes of having somewhat of a dress rehearsal
for the Olympic Winter Games.
“As an Olympic athlete, one of the biggest disadvantages is that
we don’t get that feeling of standing on that big stage, competing
in front of lots of people when it means a lot and there is a huge
amount of pressure,” said Bahrke Happe. “The Youth Olympic
Games are a huge step in the right direction to feel what it is like
to be in that pressure-cooker scenario and I’m really happy that
the IOC is putting this much emphasis on a youth event because I
think it could really pay dividends for youth athletes in the future.”
Bahrke Happe landed on her first World Cup podium in January
1999, at age 18. Then she skied to that Olympic silver medal in
Park City in 2002 while just 21.
“I think the biggest thing for these young athletes is to have fun,” she said. “The kids really
need to take in the experience at the Youth Olympic Games; the friends, the atmosphere,
the place you’re in; look at the mountains, look at the sky and really appreciate who you are,
what you’ve accomplished and what you’ve been through. Of course you relish standing on
the podium but only a few ever get to do that, and I think these kids need to cherish all of the
other things, have fun and just enjoy the journey.”
Shannon Bahrke Happe will bring her medal-winning spirit to Innsbruck in January.
2012 U.S. Winter Youth Olympic Team
(with hometown, club, date of birth)
Alpine Skiing
Alex Leever (Vail, Ski & Snowboard Club Vail, 07/6/95)
Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, Burke Mountain Academy,
03/13/95)
Cross Country
Patrick Caldwell (Lyme Center, N.H., Stratton Mountain
School 2/18/94)
Heather Mooney (Peru, Vt.; Middlebury College Ski
Team, 2/27/94)
Nordic Combined
Ben Berend (Steamboat Springs, Steamboat Springs
Winter Sports Club, 6/29/95)
Halfpipe Skiing
Aaron Blunck (Crested Butte, Ski & Snowboard Club Vail,
4/12/96)
Jeanne Crane-Mauzy (Waterville Valley, N.H.; Axis
Freeride, 6/5/96)
Skicross
Grant Ketels (Reno, Olympic Valley Freeride and
Freestyle Team, 11/28/95)
Lesley Wilson (Steamboat Springs, Steamboat Springs
Winter Sports Club 8/2/96)
Ski Jumping
Emilee Anderson (Eau Claire, Wisc., Flying Eagles Ski
Club, 12/13/95)
A.J. Brown (Fox River Grove, Ill., Norge Ski Club, 2/28/95)
Winter Youth Olympic Games
Role Models (in ski disciplines)
Snowboarding Halfpipe
Ben Ferguson (Bend, U.S. Snowboarding, 1/21/95)
Arielle Gold (Steamboat Springs, Steamboat Springs
Winter Sports Club, 5/4/96)
Freestyle Skiing: Shannon Bahrke Happe
Alpine Skiing: Marco Buechel (LIE)
Cross Country: Petra Majdic (SLO)
Ski Jumping: Andreas Kuttel (SUI)
Nordic Combined: Samppa Lajunen (FIN)
Snowboarding Slopestyle
Max Raymer (Park City, Park City Snowboard Team,
8/24/95)
Indigo Monk (Manhattan Beach, Calif.; Breckenridge
Resort, 1/5/95)
COURTESY SHANNON BAHRKE HAPPE
SkiRacing.com OCTOBER 31, 2011 | 63
