Skiing is the most important and influential interest in my life because it allows me to continue to challenge myself and step outside of my comfort zone. The sense of accomplishment I achieve when skiing is not because I was able to complete a difficult trail, instead, I get a sense of accomplishment because I overcame the fear of hurting myself and was able to focus on the speed that I was going and appreciate how free I was at that moment. One of my ski coaches once told me “It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” Skiing is a way to challenge our fears and our push limits. When I was learning how to ski, I was always jealous of how some of the people on the