
Rowland Hall and Rowmark graduate Breezy Johnson '13 scored her first victory in the Women's Europa Cup Downhill in Altenmarkt, Austria, on January 15. The 20-year-old won the Europa Cup in the second race of the day, an incredible accomplishment for Johnson and a career best. Only a handful of Americans have finished in the top three of any Europa Cup event. It’s a rare achievement to score first and second in two consecutive Europa Cups.
The US Ski Team member from Victor, Idaho, first strapped on a pair of skis at the age of three. At seven years old, she joined the Jackson Hole Ski Club, where she took to the podium time and time again. When she turned 13, she fully committed to the sport by moving to Salt Lake City to join Rowmark Ski Academy. While skiing for the academy, she won multiple high-level races, including a silver medal in giant slalom at the Whistler Cup International U16 Championships, and two podiums at the US National U18 Championships.
“Breezy brings many attributes to the table that have helped her rise to the top, including incredible drive, work ethic, fearlessness, and unflappable demeanor that allows her to perform at her highest level, even in the most pressure-packed situations,” Rowmark Director Todd Brickson said. Breezy is also a great student, Todd added. “Despite missing school for competitions and training, she was able to graduate from Rowland Hall with a 3.88 GPA. Breezy credits her academic success to strong teacher support.”
Johnson’s goal of qualifying for a World Cup start became a reality in December 2015 when she placed 41st and 32nd in the Downhill event in Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. Then, on February 6, she went on to finish 28th in the World Cup in Garmisch, Germany, scoring the first World Cup points of her career.
Prior to her stellar World Cup performance, she competed in the World Junior Championships in Norway, where she finished 13th in the Downhill. She also placed 3rd in the US Alpine Championship Downhill and 4th in super giant slalom, or super-G. At that point, Johnson had also scored top-ten finishes in numerous International Ski Federation, or FIS, races in Europe.
“These races are the stepping stones to World Cup success and the road to the Olympics,” Breezy explained. "I am super excited and so grateful for all of these opportunities."
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