Substitutions

Have you ever substituted an ingredient in a recipe, you know when you're trying to make that cookie recipe a little healthier? Applesauce for butter or oil, often times the substitutes are noticeable or they just don't taste as good as the real thing.

I used to think that frozen yogurt was the American substitute for ice cream. I used to think it was so dumb, if I want ice cream, I want the real thing, all 500 of those cookies n' cream ice cream - or however many calories it may be. Then, I tried frozen yogurt for the first time. And you know what - I liked it! It was then that I realized it wasn't terrible it was just different. It had different flavor for a different craving. Frozen yogurt isn't meant to be ice cream, it's its own thing, and quite delicious with the right combination of toppings.

In a way, that is what Nordic sit-skiing is for me. It's a substitute for running or it's my frozen yogurt. Frozen yogurt isn't as good as the real thing, that is when comparing it to ice cream. Running is much sweeter to me in comparison to Nordic sit-skiing, but since running isn't an option in my life right now I've found the closest substitute. But I have to remember just like ice cream and frozen yogurt aren't the same thing, so it goes with running and Nordic sit-skiing.

Sometimes I get frustrated and totally bummed out when I think about all the trails I never got a chance to explore, that aren't very wheelchair friendly now. I almost get mad at myself for not exploring more, and I explored quite a bit.  Some people ask if I could go back would I be more careful and less adventurous. My answer is, HECK NO. Hence why I feel sadness and frustration when I think about all the mountains I didn't get a chance to climb and all the trails and creeks I never explored. This world is so beautiful, I'm constantly in awe of it, and love to be out in it every chance I get. And now the chances I get mean sit skiing and mountain boarding.

I had the opportunity to race for the first time this January. This first race was my second time ever on snow in a sit-ski, and it was awesome - killer hard - but awesome! It was part of TUNA (the Utah Nordic Alliance) race series. I've been training and practicing with a program at the University of Utah along with what we call team Mexico, they are such rock stars.

Team Mexcio & I resting up after the race. 

I'm so grateful for the friends and family that came to support me that day. Plus they got to see some dang cute 5 year-olds try to xc ski race. I'll go back in and add pictures because they are so adorable and hilarious. Hopefully it was worth hours in the cold and frozen toes to watch them too!

The rest of the weekend was spent up in Midway at the Olympic cross country park, Soldier Hollow. First of all if you volunteer there, you get the sickest coats, so if you're looking for a cool winter coat maybe invest some of your time up a Soldier Hollow.

Thanks for coming to support!

Sunday was my second race, and third time on snow and once again it was awesome! I loved every minute of it, it was a sprint race approximately a 1 k. You go off one by one so it's different starting all by yourself, and then on the back stretch getting my butt kicked as all the guys power by, I had to keep reminding myself that their arms were twice my size, but still isn't the best self-esteem booster. I finished, after a couple down hills and up hills around the course and gave it my all. It felt great to race again, I guess I didn't realize how much I missed racing. And the other racers I got to meet were pretty cool. I could write a whole separate post on their stories, many of the were Veterans and totally kick a**.

Post race #2- love these guys. 

I finished and took pictures with family and though I was done. And then my coach, Tanja, came over and was like "Brittany keep moving you've got another race". I was confused but I thought,  okay that wasn't too bad. Then round two guns went off, and down the hill I went again. Once again, giving it my all I finished and my family was at the end and we took another picture and were all talking and having fun.

Then to my surprise, my coach comes running over telling me that I have one more race in the finals. So back to the starting line I went for another race, I was starting to wonder how many times I'd have to do this, because I was really starting to feel it in my arms. My favorite quote of the morning was another coach yelling at the start, "GIVE 'EM HELL".

Coach Tanja  & I - the one to introduce me to Nordic skiing. 

About half way through my biggest fear of Nordic skiing came true I took one of the turns too quickly and tipped over my sit-ski. I'd tipped over before in warm-up laps and it had taken me awhile to get up. But I was able to pop right up with just one push and was on my way again. Maybe it was the adrenaline that helped me pop up so quickly, who knows? After I took one last turn and came into the finished I asked if there were any more races because I wasn't sure how much my arms had left. Good thing I was all done. My cousin even found a report written about the race.

Cinny (xc skier from Finland) & I on the podiums post race. 

Monday morning rolled around and it was time for day three of racing, and once again only my fourth time ever sit-skiing on snow. Got my warm up laps in and felt good to go. So the start of the course is flat and then goes right into the first down hill. I got my skis in the carved out track  which I'd gone down over 10 times by now during the weekend. And suddenly my skis popped out of the tracks, and I had about four feet to correct my direction until there was a drop off with a fence and flag poles.

While going down hill I had just picked up too much speed to correct the direction of my skis and I went flying off the edge and took out the fence with my face and neck. After a moment of what I call "the fuzzies", I realized where I was and started trying to move all the muscles, slowly. I double checked my arms, and neck and hands, and legs, but well those didn't work before the crash so, that's normal for me. But I was stuck in the fence hanging sideways when everyone started to run over to help. By the time they all arrived I knew I had full sensation and movement, well full for a T-12 spinal chord injury that is.

My coach was the only one who saw the crash on the back side and was the first to arrive and ask me what day it was, and once again, I knew I was fine so I replied with a little bit of sass, "Tanja, I know it's Monday - I'm fine." But of course, it looked pretty bad so they came with back boards, medical team and all. I'll admit it hurt, but nothing like what I'd been through in my last accident.

It was a little deja vu, all over again; I was surround by a team of medics and volunteers stabilizing my neck and slowly moving me onto the board. Except this time I was on snow and not red rock, and the time of day was a bit different, and oh yeah, I was already paralyzed. Maybe this is a terrible perspective to have, but I figure that if I survived an 80 ft. fall, if something is really going to "take me home" then it'll take me when it's time. I still wear my seat belt and a helmet and all that - don't worry - but I'm definitely not going to slow down. I went back skiing four days later and everyone there told me they named the corner "Brittany's Corner" and I got to see the fence I took out. I decided to do the course backwards though so I didn't have to go down that hill again though.

After riding over to the the medic tent/building or whatever I was in, they continued with some testing and then sent me back to Salt Lake City to follow up with some more examinations and x-rays. It was confirmed nothing was broken but that I'd have some pretty bad whiplash and bruising in the days to follow.

Well, I guess my body is just Ironwoman after what I've put her through because literally nothing, no bruising, no pain at all after the crash. I thought I was done giving my mom heart attacks, but then, oh wait a week later my appendix decided it no longer wanted to hang out in my body, so we parted ways quite suddenly. We did go on a fun adventure with our friend Alex and her boyfriend up to Bear Lake though. So I guess that was our going away party, It's cool though, I get it, I put my body through a lot. My appendix was just telling me she wanted out before I do anything else crazy.

And now to end this post I want to include my favorite quote from the past few years that has meant so much to me. There have been many days early on where I couldn't walk or run but once my broken bones began to heal I could crawl. I may still be working on the walking and running, and well, definitely still working on the flying. My favorite part of the quote reminds us wherever we are in life to keep moving forward. Way to go MLK, I wish I was so famous people knew me by my initials. Well if we could just used my first and middle initials: BA is pretty cool. Happy MLK day, thank you sir for being an inspiration to many and giving me a half day off to write this post - much appreciated.