Who is Anna Segal? She’s not just Australia’s first Olympic slopestyle ski competitor she’s also my friend.
It didn’t start out that way, she was young and new to the world of media, I was old and new to the world of skiing. We met at Park City, Utah and fell out over media schedules and miscommunications.
Then we went skiing, not just any skiing, backcountry skinning. It was both our first times. We took a snow mobile out through the Wasatch Range (with an experienced guide of course) and then we skinned up and up and up. Then she hucked a cliff for the camera, and then she hucked it again and I freaked out skiing back down through the crud at the end of the day.
I like to think I passed the first friendship test, being laughed at as I slid down on my bum.
Since then we’ve cat skied in Canada, heli skied and cat skied in New Zealand and I’ve tried to keep up without success in Thredbo. I’ve seen her at her best, I’ve seen her when she’s injured, when she’s in rehab, during Australian summers and then when she’s skied better than before again. I have watched her dig deep and pull out what is needed at the time it counts. Put simply, she rocks.
I could tell you more but then we wouldn’t be friends. Read this instead.
Tonight at 5pm Australian time, Anna Segal becomes the first Australian to compete at the Winter Olympics in the sport of slopestyle ski.
As a journalist I’m excited to witness history at the Olympics as the new event debuts.
As a friend I’m so very very proud.
Anna’s sister Nat Segal reports from Sochi.
Talking nonsense with Anna Segal.
Who is that behind Anna Segal?
Join our Facebook chatter and follow us on Twitter @misssnowitall
