Steamboat Springs, CO – 2010 Olympic moguls gold medalist, Vermonter Hannah Kearney, changed up the scenery this summer, leaving her traditional summer training home of Lake Placid, N.Y. and heading to Steamboat Springs, Colo. Kearney spent her summer months enjoying all that Steamboat has to offer while preparing for the 2011 World Cup season.nAlthough the place changed for Kearney, her day-to-day routine stayed the same. Focusing on training more independently this summer, she stuck to a structured regime consisting of training and working out.
“I’m doing the same exact thing every single day,” said Kearney. “I moved here for a change of scenery. I’ve trained at the Lake Placid ramps for a very long time. It’s a really structured environment over there, and I respond well to it. Steamboat was an opportunity to branch out my training and to learn to train a little more independently.”
The Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club (SSWSC) played an important role in Kearney’s summer session. SSWSC provided her with free training at the water ramps and gym, also allowing her to jump in the four-day program when her busy schedule permitted.
“The Winter Sports Club has been really generous with me, letting me jump at the water ramps and use the gym at Howelsen for free,” said Kearney. “It’s such an active community that I’m doing the usual training, ramping, trampolining and gym workouts, plus the outdoor workouts in a new environment.”
In conjunction with independent training and occasionally joining the SSWSC program, Kearney spent a lot of time jumping around. She teamed up with Olympian Bobby Aldighieri to improve her acrobatic skills on the trampoline. But what Kearney is really priding herself on this summer, is the fact that she only had to fill her car up with gas twice since her arrival in May.
“I bought myself a mountain bike this summer and have been doing some of that,” said Kearney. “I think I filled my car up with gas only twice in the two and a half months that I’ve been here. Steamboat’s designed to ride your bike everywhere, that’s been a really nice thing to do. It not only saves the environment but you also get a lot more exercise.”
Aside from constant training, Kearney has had a busy summer. In early July, she attended the 2010 ESPYS with her brother. She was nominated for Best Female Olympic Athlete. She also took th time to explore the adventurous mountain bike and hiking trails in Steamboat Springs.
“I’ve gone on a couple hikes out here that are unlike any other hikes I’ve ever been on,” explained Kearney. “There’s one where you cross these five-foot rocks 1,000 feet above the ground and then another one where you end up at the most beautiful glacier lake.”
Last week, Kearney said goodbye to Steamboat and the U.S. and said g’day to Perisher, Australia, joining her teammates for a three week camp in the southern hemisphere, Aug. 2-22, before returning to her home in Norwich, Vt.