NZ: Day 8

It's hard to believe that we're already on Day 8 down here, but that's what our blog says, so it must be true!

Mt Hutt: Rising above the clouds... just barely.

Today, we awoke to a foggy, rainy Methven and a snow report that left quite a bit to be desired. Weather on the interweb promised clearing later in the morning, so we made the move and put our business on the streets. Things looked grim all the way to the parking lot and there, we saw our first break in the clouds, shown above. What followed was one of the truly epic weather days of the camp. The free-skiing was off the charts good. There was a little fresh snow in the track of the GS course, but once we slipped it, cut it, and slipped it again, the snow underneath held quite well. It was the hardest snow we've seen all camp.

In the course, the girls struggled mightily... at first. And again through the middle of the session... but with the growth mindset buoying them, the girls fought through, started trusting the work they've done, the harder snow, their tactics, their equipment and the drill and had a great finish. It was inspiring to watch. One conversation went like this a little bit more than midway through the session:

Coach: [over the radio] "(Unnamed athlete), how do you feel? Do you feel like you're progressing?"

Unnamed athlete: [without a hint of dismay] "... no... not really..."

Coach: "OK... well, do you want to take a free run? Do you want to come down and watch your video and talk about it?"

Unnamed athlete: "... no... I'm going to get it this run."

And she did.

We've talked a fair amount at this camp about growth vs fixed mindsets, understanding the difference between the two and being able to spot when you are in danger of falling into a fixed Mindset. That the girls fought through adversity and made something of their day shows they are catching on. With effort and the right mindset, many things become possible...

Heartfelt thanks to the U16 bloggers for the shout out. Right back at you girls!

One final thought: There aren't many blogs out there that allow you to hear about things happening on three different continents. Enjoy it!