This is the final post on my cross country ski inquiry as the weather has shifted to feeling more and more like spring and effectively ended my ski season.

When I look back on my experience, I can’t help but be proud of what I accomplished in such a short period of time. My first day of cross-country skiing I literally had no idea what I was doing, I just went for it! I fell more times that I can count and had no control going down hills. The video below shows me struggling up a hill, there’s no skill or grace involved, just pure grit and determination!

As I gained confidence and spent time practicing specific skills, my performance improved. Focusing on bending my knees and shifting my leg from one to the other increased my gliding and dramatically decreased the shuffling movement I relied on at the beginning. You can see in the video below that I am able to hold my balance and gain some speed coming down a slight hill in the video below.

By the third day I really felt things were starting to click for me. I noticed that I was able to spend more time enjoying my surroundings rather than focusing on what I was doing to avoid falling. Below is a video of me coming down quite a long, steep hill! This was a pivotal moment for me as it really built belief in myself.

Taking up a new sport like this was a really good experience for me. It has taught me to try something new, even if you aren’t very good at it at first because at the end of the day it’s fun to learn! It has also taught me to persevere when things don’t come easy, to keep trying and put in the time.