Get your tickets.

Welcome to 2010. I've been waiting to say that for a long time now. I've received a ton of different messages over the past month from family and friends telling me they have their tickets to come and watch me race in March. It is always exciting to hear from them and their energy gives me great energy heading into a long three months ahead.

I envision many cowbells and posters waiting for me when I cross the finish line, but that is still a long way away, and there are many turns between now and then. In fact, I still have my ticket to get to the start line.

It's been on my fridge for about a year now. The tickets read: "Decision 2010, Celebrate the Dream, Wednesday July 2, 2003. Doors 6:30 a.m." Who goes to GM place at 6:30 a.m.?

Believe it or not I had to be there at 5:30 a.m. that morning. I had just wrapped up my first season on the World Cup, recently turned 19, and had no idea what I was getting myself into.I remember my first World Cup season, because it was terrible.

Looking back, I was in way over my head, but I learned a lot in a short amount of time. When they announced that Vancouver and Whistler would be hosting the 2010 Winter Games GM Place erupted, and I pushed myself out of the start gate, and I knew that there was a great finish line to set my sights on.

Millions of turns

Six-and-a-half years later, I've made millions of turns, crashed a few times, gotten up, learned more then I thought was possible and am starting to taste the finish line. I had some great results already this season, in my December NorAm circuit. I started off the week long, five-race series with back-to-back fifth-place finishes.

I have been a historically bad starter and so to get off two very solid races with very good results was a great step forward and a great start to the season. I finished off the week with a third-place result in Super Combined which is one run of super-G and one run of Slalom.

My super-G run was alright, I made about five poor turns in the middle section of the course, which cost me a little higher finishing position. I was sixth after the run, but overall I was pleased with the way I had skied and knew that if I put down a good slalom run I would be able to move up.

I really skied well in the slalom run. I was finally able to relax and ski a run just as I had been skiing in training. I knew when I crossed the line that it was fast and waited for the remaining five people - all of whom had faster first run times than me - to come across the finish line. As it turned out, I passed two people and another was unable to finish the run, which vaulted me into third for the day.

That lead me into the Christmas break feeling very good about my skiing and knowing that I am on the right track heading into the long World Cup season ahead. I am about to make my way to Europe for a gruelling three-week stint. My criteria for qualifying for the Paralympics is one top 12 this season, which I hope to get out of the way quickly.

To be honest I'm not really focused on the result as much as I am on the process. At this point, I know that if I ski the way I have been training I will be able to meet the qualification standards. When the clock ticked over to 2010 just a few days ago, I made one more turn towards March.

I am excited for the World Cup season ahead, but there are still many turns to go before I can cross that finish line and see all my family and friends filling the grandstands. I can hear the crowd roaring, but it is no time to lose focus on the task at hand. You have to take each and every turn as it comes and continue to accelerate.