For 12-year-old Samuel Holinaty, skiing is his passion and Olympic competition is his goal.
Holinaty began skiing when he was two years old and has been interested in the sport ever since.
Four years ago, he joined the Apex Freestyle Team, where he was chosen as one of 10 young skiers who showed promise on the slopes.
More recently, he was named Most Valuable Athlete of the Year.
For Holinaty, the accolades are steps as he pursues the goal of Olympic competition.
He competes in moguls, slope style and big air skiing.
He recently qualified to compete in winter ramp jumps.
To qualify, he had to first do the jumps in summer, on a ramp over the water.
Training for his level of skiing is intense and expensive.
“I’ve snapped a few pairs of skis and I’ve broken the bindings on a few pairs,” he said.