Life is short, and if we enjoy every moment of every day, then we will be happy no matter what happens or what changes along the way.
Gretchen Bleiler
I'm so grateful for all the experiences I've had; the life lessons I've learned along the way are just completely invaluable.
I've learned that you have to make careful choices because everything has an impact. I've also learned that you can't please everyone in life, so please yourself and figure out what really matters.
I typically have breakfast, have a snack, have lunch, have a snack, and have dinner.
I learned a few years ago that balance is the key to a happy and successful life, and a huge part of achieving that balance is to instill rituals into your everyday life - a nutritious balanced diet, daily exercise, time for yourself through meditation, reading, journaling, yoga, daily reflection, and setting goals.
With the new year comes a refueled motivation to improve on the past one.
Your money is power, so be aware of the products you're buying and the companies you're supporting to make sure you're helping the companies that are leading the way in sustainability.
Jumping on the trampoline for even a half an hour is a really good workout. You get really tired. The next day, you're feeling it. And you really have to use your core. If you don't, your lower back hurts the next day.
Mt. Hood is still one of my favorites for its sun, warmth, and slushy, forgiving conditions.
Walk, skateboard, bike, car pool, or use mass transit more, and drive less.
I've always had bigger legs and butt; it's just the way I'm built. Over time, I realized that they were blessings because that foundation - my legs and butt - is what helps me flip 12 feet above an icy halfpipe.
We need more balance in the world - more balance of the feminine and the masculine.
I grew up snowboarding in two of the best states for the sport: Colorado and Utah. The world-class ski mountains in these neighboring states were key factors that allowed me to represent our country in two Olympics and numerous X Games.
My family moved to Aspen, Colorado, where we had 'Avalanche Danger' days that kept us from going to school, climbed 14,000-foot peaks as part of my education, and I learned to snowboard.
When you feel the burn, that's when you know you're doing an exercise correctly. If you're doing 20 crunches, and you're not struggling, make an adjustment so they're harder to do. Don't cheat yourself. If it isn't burning, you're not getting stronger.
If you're stressed at work, or before a competition, or if you need to be energized, or relaxed, there's so many scents that kind of take you there.
I think everyone in snowboarding is close. We've become a big family. It's not a cutthroat sport. I'm competing against one of my best friends, and I think it's cool to be at the top of the half pipe, dropping in with your competitor but your best friend, too.
Get a composter and let nature breakdown your compostable trash and use the remains as mulch for your plants.
The Olympics, you're in front of the world, and yeah you're competing, but you want to look good. You want to have a great representation of who you are.
The first few years I was competing, I'd ride so well in practice, then choke and fall in competition. Now I take a deep breath and say, 'Look at me. I'm outside. I'm doing what I love.' Still, nothing's matched the pressure I felt standing at the top of the halfpipe for the first time at the Olympics.
I partnered with Mission: it's a really cool company based on giving athletes what they need. I have my own signature lip balm because when I'm up on the hill, protecting your lips is so important.
Building up expectations, creating unrealistic time frames, feeling like our end goal is the end all, be all can all lead to frustration or anxiety. We end up feeling as though we have to power through what we want rather than enjoy the process and just let the result come as it may.
I love songs with a lot of confidence.
If you wake up in the morning, and you're feeling tired, I feel like if you get on your yoga mat and even practice for, like, 10 or 15 minutes, it's really great for just grounding you, centering you, and getting the energy moving.
I've landed on my shoulders a lot of times, and separated them and stretched the capsule. I've torn my ACL in my right knee; that took me out for an entire season.
Everyone has different things they like in terms of board setup. The grind of the board and how it's waxed - you want to make sure that the speed of the board is right for the conditions of the halfpipe. And then there's the edges and the bevel of the edge.
Climate change poses a far greater threat to the outdoor industry than even the privatization of the public lands.
It takes a village to earn a spot representing your country, and I know that every single person who helped me get to the Olympics was also touched by the dream. The web of inspiration is incredible. Because of this, I know that the core principles and spirit of what the Olympics stand for are worth protecting.
I've had cumulative concussions and realized that's something you carry with you.
I love how snowboarding is like no other sport out there - I mean, some of my best friends are my biggest competitors. And we just cheer each other on. It's a very supportive sport.
When you're up on the hill, and you know you're as strong as you can be, you're more willing and able and confident to go and do bigger and harder and more technical tricks.
I care about the way I look, and I want to look my best. My regime isn't crazy. For my face, it's just sunscreen because foundations and tinted moisturizers rub against my neck warmer. But I do like eyeliner, mascara, and a little color on my lids.
As pro snowboarders, skiers, etc., we all know that what we do is risky.
More and more, companies are realizing the value of their female consumers, and that's showing up in the female-specific products they're making, their marketing strategies, and even the feel of their companies internally.
I get to experience so much in my life as I travel around, and it's just such a great way to get to share that with people. All these sites, like Twitter and Make It Pro, give me such a very strong way to interact with people. It's easy to let people be part of your life and to keep all of your friends and fans together.
As long you are doing what you love and making decisions from the heart, you will be successful.
I think whenever you have any kind of injury or challenge, you just have to deal with it the best you can. You have to decide what's important to you and focus on getting back to where you want to be. And enjoy where you are and what your goals and dreams are and just give it 100 percent.
I'm a competitor, and since I was 2 years old, I have always wanted to be the best at whatever I was doing.
I have three brothers, and they were all snowboarders, and I always looked up to them. That's the reason I started snowboarding. I always wanted to be just as good as they were.
I think whenever you get out and do something different, like mountain biking or surfing, it just makes you more aware of your body and balance. For me, I've always loved anything that involved sports, so I've always just tried different things.
For me, vision is just about the most important thing. So goggles play a huge role in my sport. I come to the competition with a bunch of different goggles and tons of different lenses in multiple tints. The weather can always be changing, and you have to have the right thing to make sure you can see perfectly.
When I first started snowboarding, nobody trained off-hill. People weren't going to the gym and getting stronger. Snowboarding was more self-expression, like skateboarding. It was just something you went and did. It wasn't something you trained for.
From day one, snowboarding led me down a totally different path, and it's that path that's kept me laughing and continually intrigued. I love the satisfaction at the end of the day of overcoming my fears, of spending all day outside working hard, and there's nothing better than the feeling of landing a new trick for the first time.
I don't have too strict a diet.
Core training is so important.
There will always be another email to get through; something to clean up, file, and organize; more errands to do. Which is why balance is so important. Life is a marathon, not a sprint.
It takes energy to get energy.
I've gotten to work with some amazing brands that, in many cases, market to female consumers.
Sometimes in life, when we really want something, we can approach it in a way that might actually be closing us off from achieving it.
When you operate from a nothing-left-to-lose mentality, it's essentially the same thing as the 'Law of Least Resistance.' You have a goal in mind, but you're not emotionally attached to the outcome. You're focusing on all of the little steps inbetween.
