From Mom Mode to Backflips: A Day I’ll Never Forget ⛷️💦
Tucker and I sending it on the water ramps!
FROM MOM MODE TO BACKFLIP MODE
Shannon’s July Update
Last Thursday was one for the books! My son Tucker, 7, is FINALLY old enough to hit the water ramps at the Utah Olympic Park, and I was over the moon to sign him up for his first freestyle camp.
At the beginning of the week I told him, “If you want me to jump with you on Thursday, I’ll dust off my old gear and hit the jumps with you.”
And guess what? After a very long 13-year hiatus, I found myself standing at the top of that ramp again, heart pounding like I was training for the Olympics all over again.
There I was, 44 years old, a mom of two, long-retired from the world of elite-level mogul skiing, surrounded by kids taking their first jumps, rising X Games and Olympic hopefuls, and my son. I felt it all: excitement, fear, nostalgia, anxiety… and a huge dose of “What am I doing here?”
But I set that thought aside, slung my skis over my shoulder, and climbed the stairs I’ve walked thousands of times. At the top, I slid out onto the ramp, legs shaking, breath a little faster than I’d like to admit. Then, just like riding a bike, muscle memory took over. I popped off the jump, threw a big, beautiful backflip, and felt pure joy. My smile? A mile wide.
After a few jumps, Tucker wanted to try his very first 360 while I set my sights on a d-spin (a backflip with a full 360-degree twist).
Tucker looked at me and said, “Mom, I’m scared.”
I told him, “Me too. And that’s okay. Feeling scared just means we’re about to do something awesome. We’ve also prepared for this—I’ve done thousands of d-spins in my life. And you, you’ve also done thousands of 360s too. Think about it, when you’ve jumped off curbs or high things onto the street, when you’ve jumped off our boat into the water, and countless ones on the trampoline in our backyard. This is just a new place to do the same 360 you’ve successfully done A LOT! We can both trust our bodies to do what we have prepared them to do. Deep breath, we’ve got this!”
Then he asked the BIG question: “If we do it, can we get ice cream?”
LOL, a no-brainer—of course! He slid out onto the ramp, looked back up at me as I gave him a thumbs up. He took a deep breath, and nailed his first 360. I followed with my d-spin, proud of us both for working through our fear and going for it.
That moment reminded me why sports are so magical—they teach us lessons that go far beyond the field, court, or water ramp.
3 takeaways To Inspire You Today
Trust your preparation. When fear and doubt creep in, remember all the work that’s led you here. Confidence is built in the small, consistent moments of practice, not just the big ones.
Feel your feelings. Fear, nerves, excitement—don’t ignore them. Notice what’s happening in your body and mind, then use that awareness to bring in positive energy and focus.
Courage grows when you use it. Each time you face your fears and take action, your courage muscle gets stronger. And that strength stays with you, far beyond the moment.
If you’ve been waiting for a sign to start something new (or return to something you once loved)—this is your moment.
Courage doesn’t show up fully formed, it grows every time you choose to step forward, even when your legs are shaking. Feel the fear. Take the leap. Your future self will thank you for being brave today.
Quote of the Month
“You glow differently when your confidence is fueled by belief in yourself instead of validation from others!”
My Favorite Summer Ice Cream Flavors
Chocoholic Peanut Butter Ripple from Handel’s
Cake Batter Batter Batter from Cold Stone Creamery
Salted Caramel Gelato from Sweetaly
Winter and Spring spots are now open for Champions Advantage—our Olympian-designed Mental Skills Programs built to elevate U14–U19 athletes. If your team is ready to level up focus, resilience, and game-day confidence, this is your moment. Limited availability, big impact. Head over to ChampionsAdvantage.com for more information.
