Zero to 60 with Kim
As I approach my 60th birthday I can’t help but remember all the amazing experiences I’ve had and opportunities that have been created by taking chances and following my heart. My relationship with K2 @k2.skis started in 1986. I couldn’t ask for a better ski sponsor. They believed in me and supported Women’s Ski Adventures when most of the ski industry said I was crazy. Thank you K2 for thinking outside of the box and supporting women like no other company. @skiwithkim #Zeroto60withKim.
Enjoy the journey!
When I was three years old I chopped off my big toe in bike spokes. The doctor told my parents I would limp for the rest of my life, have balance issues and not be a very good athlete. As I approach my 60th birthday I’m reminded of the many times I was told by someone I couldn’t do something or it was a bad idea. The lesson is always the same. Listen to your heart, believe in yourself, go after what you want and don’t listen to the naysayers. We can accomplish great things if we don’t limit ourselves to the negative thoughts of others. Those are their limitations not yours. @Skiwithkim #Zeroto60withKim
I started riding when I was three and jumping when I was five. My mom was my trainer and she was tough. She taught me to work hard, set goals and own it. Although we belonged to a fancy club I had to do all my own work, taking care of my pony, cleaning tack, braiding for shows when all my friends had grooms to do that. She made me make sacrifices in order to achieve the opportunities I wanted. The pride of ownership was overwhelming, the reward was even greater because I was responsible for all aspects of my success and failures. From every experience I learned and got better. As I approach my 60th birthday I am grateful for the lessons I learned at a young age and carry these principles with me today.
In 1979 I was a freshman at the University of Colorado on a ski scholarship. Having been just dropped by the US Ski Team at the peak of my career I was pissed. I was independent, selfish, a rebel and for the most part, uncoachable. We were the worst collegiate team in the country and my attitude wasn’t helping. I was a leader but in a negative way. By my sophomore year I realized I wasn’t going to ski myself back on to the the US Team, no matter how many races I won. I also realized, if I wanted to win as a TEAM I had to contribute, I had to care, I had to make sacrifices. This process was the greatest growing experience of my life. By supporting my teammates and working together we went from the worst team in the NCAA to winning the national championships. By giving back I helped create the camaraderie necessary to win. As I approach my 60th year, I am so grateful for this lesson learned at a young age, which changed me forever and is a huge part of my business today. Supporting others and empowering the people around us to be our best, creates something much greater than anything we can do alone
When I was nine years old I went to a Bob Beattie World Pro Ski Race at Mt. Snow Vermont. I was in awe with the event which was not like any ski race I had been to. I turned to my coach and said “After the Olympics I’m going to be a professional ski racer”. His response, in a slightly condescending tone, was “There isn’t pro ski racing for women”. Without hesitation I said “There will be”. This goal, established at a young age, stayed strong for 10 years. When I got to college I studied marketing in the ski industry. I interned with ski brands, worked on my public speaking skills and took acting classes to hone my on-camera presence. I received credit for the sponsorship contracts I negotiated and graduated with a resume, portfolio and a victory schedule that paid for podium finishes and air time on ESPN. By stating my intentions, making a commitment and using college to learn the skills I needed, I created a career which paid me to do something I loved. For 60 years I’ve followed these simple guidelines. Follow your heart, plan ahead, set goals, work hard, and you will be successful and happy. 🤸♂️
In 1994 I was working for ESPN as a reporter and a color analyst. I was in Breckenridge covering an event when I was contacted by Good Morning America to be a guest on the show being hosted live from Aspen. I told them I was not available and gave them names of other women who could do the job. They wouldn’t take “no” for an answered and persisted. So I told them if they picked me up in Breckenridge by helicopter at 6:00am and flew me to Aspen and back, getting me to Breckenridge before 9:00am, I would do it. I never thought they would say “yes” but they did. I flew to Aspen, did an interview with Charlie Gibson and returned back in time to do my job for ESPN. This transaction made me realize that you’ll never know what you can achieve if you don’t ask. Otherwise, the answer will always be “no.” By putting it out there, dreaming big and taking chances, I learned I can accomplish great things. This lesson made a difference in every transaction and negotiation since. Ask for what you want, understand your value, be confident and realize your potential.
Two more days before my 60th birthday. The pull-up challenge, 60 for 60 years, has put me in a constant state of muscle pain. Unfortunately that’s nothing new. I’ve had nine major surgeries in my life, not including four IVF’s, chopping off my toe and hundreds of stitches. I would like to say I’m not accident prone but I am an adrenaline junkie. Getting hurt is a way of life for me. Now that I have decided that I’m in the preservation phase of my life, and must to stop getting hurt, my body is falling apart. A spinal fusion and a hip replacement in the past few years are due to 60 years of playing hard. But the body has an amazing ability to heal, as long as we give it a chance. I'm incredibly thankful for orthopedic surgeons and search out the best I can find when I need one. But it’s not the surgery alone that is going to heal us. Post surgery is the most important, being patient with the healing process, pushing ourselves in the right direction at the right time, sticking with a protocol that will get you back to 100%. Check out my blog in my website, Ski with Kim, (link in profile) which provides helpful tips on pre and post surgery and setting yourself up for success. There is a positive side to everything in our lives including surgery. Take care of problems now before it’s too late and nurture your body back to health so you will be doing 60 pull-up on your 60th.
One of my earliest childhood memories was of my dad coming home from work each day. When we asked him, “how was your day?”, his response was never positive. He complained about the commute, the crowded, hot subways and the aggressive behavior on the floor of the American Stock Exchange. I remember saying to myself, “I will never do something for a living I don't love.” Nobody squashed this dream, because I kept it to myself. When I was in college, I was invited to float the Grand Canyon. Growing up in Connecticut, I had never seen anything like the Canyonlands and was in awe with the beauty and magnitude. What impressed me even more was how happy the guides were. They loved what they did. They weren’t surrounded by material things but they seemed richer than anyone I had met. Finding what we love and making our dreams a reality is the key to happiness. In order to do this we need to have an open mind and be willing to engage in different experiences. If the people we spend time with are not happy, if we pursue money, materialism or follow someone else’s plan for us, we will not be satisfied. Identify the moments in your day to day life that make you feel good: Expand your social circles, surround yourself with motivated, smart, like-minded, enthusiastic people. If our work is our passion then we will always be satisfied with what we do. Success is not how big your house is or how many toys you have, success is waking up every day excited about your life. When your job is your passion, hard work is rewarding and fun
I love the feeling I get from an adrenaline rush. It’s possible I’m an adrenaline junkie! Being on the edge of disaster, taking chances, pushing myself outside of my comfort zone gives me a rush that’s unique to all other sensations. When I expose myself to new, dangerous, uncomfortable situations I rise to my best and thrive on these feelings. I feel the most alive when I’m in this state and it lasts much longer than the actual event. As I approach my 60th birthday, I have come to terms with the fact that I can not get a rush from skiing any more. I have to push it too hard to get that sense of euphoria and the risk of getting hurt is too high. My goal now in skiing is to be the moist fluid skier on the mountain and I look for other ways to appease my adrenaline junkie needs. Peaking our adrenaline can be obtained not just from sports, but anything outside of our comfort zone. Public speaking for example or any type of performance. Even putting yourself in a new or unique social circle can cause your hormones to spike. I believe it’s important to experience adrenaline rushes throughout our lives. It reminds us of how we felt when we were younger. What’s wrong with that? Think about your day to day life and ask yourself, how often do I push myself outside of my comfort zone? If it’s not often, then start looking for ways to do so. The spike in your hormones, the tingle in your body, the sense of reward because you challenged yourself will not only make you feel incredible, but you’ll want more. And in my opinion, that is one of life’s greatest sensations.
People keep asking me about being bummed about my birthday or they say I should lie about my age because clearly I don’t act it! But my answer is, I’m proud of my age. There are only two choices, get older or don’t. So I choose to be positive about getting older. Being happy is a choice. Every situation has positive and negative sides. When I look in the mirror do I see my imperfections or do I see my muscles and my strong physique? When I look at my smile do I see crooked teeth or a beautiful smile? By seeing the good, in ourselves and others, we are allowed to be happy. For me this is a better way of life. I make the choice to see the better side of people and situations. I choose to talk about the good things in life and the strong traits in my friends. The people I don’t like, I don’t talk about. I decide those are not my kind of people and move on. For some this takes practice, for others it’s natural. But I highly recommend it. The next time you take yourself down a dark road, turn around and follow the path to the sun.