Since being selected for Alpine Canada's Prospect Group in May 2012, former Jasperite Tianda Carroll continues to amplify her ski-racing potential.
It has been an impressive season on the slopes for the 19-year-old Jasper Ski Club alumnus, now a Denver University (DU) freshman who competes as an NCAA athlete on the school's ski team.
One season highlight was Carroll’s third place finish with Canadian teammates Mikaela Tommy, Ford Swette and Trevor Philip at the World Junior Championships. The race took place at Quebec’s Mount Sainte Anne in February.
“Getting a medal—period—is a great accomplishment at the World Junior Championships and having done this on home soil made it even better,” Carroll wrote in an email.
Ripping down the hill at night under bright lights and crossing the finish line with several thousand people cheering provided extra adrenaline, she added.
Her team was in a 2–2 tie with the Austrian team, but the Canadian foursome secured ultimate victory with faster combined times.
“I knew we had a good team going into the race, definitely one that could get a medal, but actually accomplishing that was spectacular.”
Carroll racked up more top 10 finishes this year in the North American (NorAm) race circuit.
She placed third in the slalom at the NCAA National Championships in Vermont and the DU team placed fourth. She also ranked fifth at the US National Championships in Squaw Valley and was the second fastest junior.
On top of navigating the quickest route on the race course, Carroll is navigating her way through a post-secondary education. She’s still exploring majors and hasn’t fully decided on a concentration.
“I’m taking a variety of classes hoping that I find something that sparks my interest.”
Balancing athletics and academics is tricky at times, but her professors are used to accommodating student athletes.
“Professors are very understanding of our schedules and help us out as much as they can. Our team always makes study times when on trips to help motivate us to finish homework.”
