Grade 8 Student Wins Big at Junior Nationals


Emily Szabo '21 won the Junior National Mogul Skiing Championship. The event was held in Sun Valley, Idaho, on March 13-19, 2017. She is the youngest competitor to win this event, and will represent the United States at next year's Junior World Championship.

Emily, daughter of Dr. Josh Szabo ’89 and Dr. Katherine Szabo, won against competitors up to five years her senior. As a 13-year-old, Emily was competing against athletes who were 18 years old. She was the only girl from the east to be in the top 10, and the only athlete to place in the top 20 that doesn’t belong to a ski academy. “I actually beat people five years older than me, and it really felt great to beat people I've been looking up to for years,” she said of the experience.

This is her second year competing at the Junior Nationals. Emily finished first in her age group and 14th overall in 2016.

“I'm proud of my accomplishments, but there's room for improvement. I hope to get better through future training. For instance, I will be training with the U.S. Ski Team in July at an aerial camp where I hope to master a new trick called a cork seven,” Emily said. “My biggest competitor is myself as I'm always trying to get better.”

Emily started skiing when she was just 3 years old at Seven Springs with her dad and family. A quick learner and a fan of moguls and jumps, she began competitive mogul skiing with PA Freestyle, an organization at Seven Springs, at age 5.

Today, Emily is a full-time student at Sewickley Academy and trains with two freestyle programs, Bristol Mountain Freestyle and Vail Ski and Snowboard Club. In the upcoming year, she will train at water ramp facilities in Lake Placid, New York, and Park City, Utah, as well as on snow throughout the summer at locations to be determined.

Four female, including Emily, and four male athletes will representing the U.S. at next year’s Junior World Championship. In addition to moguls, aerial and slope style athletes will also be attending. The location will be announced over the summer, as the event currently takes place in Valmalenco, Italy, but its location changes annually.

Emily has learned it is not easy to be a full-time athlete and student. “I've had to make sacrifices in my personal life due to the schedule and time commitment. Luckily, my friends are supportive and understanding,” she reflected. “The rule in my house is academics come before skiing. My schoolwork must be complete in order for me to ski.”

Emily credits KC Oakley as her inspiration in her sport. “She graduated from the University of California – Berkeley while skiing competitively and being a part of the U.S. Ski Team; she showed me that it's possible to become a high level competitor and achieve lofty academic goals.”

So what’s next for Emily? She wants to be the best athlete she can be. “I hope to be a member of the U.S. Ski Team with an opportunity to represent my country at an Olympic Games.”

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