From Rookie to World Cup Racer: Mia Hunt’s Killington Debut

Mia Hunt Killington: GEPA pictures

Debut World Cup Experience!

Hey! This is Toko athlete Mia Hunt, and I want to share a little about my World Cup debut in Killington!

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First, I qualified for the women’s slalom through a time trial in Aspen. I am not on the national team, but I was invited to time trial due to my slalom world rank, which is currently 84. There was one other girl time trialing from the D-team. I went into the day like any regular training. Sun was out; my skis were gliding (thanks Toko), and vibes were high…I couldn’t have asked for anything better! We took three runs, and our first run was combined with the fastest of the second two runs to determine who was going to Killington. I gave each run everything I had and came away with the spot! I flew to Vermont for my debut World Cup race six days later.

Going into this season, this opportunity is not one that I expected at all. I was stoked even to get invited to the time trial and beyond excited to come away with the spot. I would compete on the highest level of alpine ski racing alongside all those badass ladies I’d always watched on TV! For the race, I was lucky enough to join the U.S. Ski Team crew for the weekend, and it felt super cool to experience the life of a world cupper for a few days. It was amazing to have Nina and Paula there as mentors, providing me with a more detailed glimpse of what life is like at the top. You’d think seeing and hanging around all my idols in real life would be overwhelming and nerve-wracking, but I actually felt excited to learn from them and be a part of the scene. I’d earned my spot there and carried it with pride.

Before race day, Rudi, the U.S. World Cup team’s head coach, advised me. He said to treat the race like any other training or race day. There is no need to take an extra-long inspection or twice as many warm-up runs; just follow my normal routine. I took this advice to heart because, let’s be honest, I definitely would have over inspected. Ultimately, even the World Cup is just another race, and everyone there is trying to accomplish the same thing as me.

Although I can’t say I put down the best skiing of my life, crossing the finish line to an ecstatic home crowd is something I’ll never forget, and I came away with a new hunger to get back there. Watching the best women in the world with my own two eyes made me realize that I can get to that level and inspired me to work even harder to do so. Special thanks to Toko for the support over the past few years in helping get my skis fast enough for the World Cup! Look for me back on TV soon!

Mia