Hi, I am Annabelle, and I am SO thrilled to let you know I have qualified to represent New Zealand at the Junior Freeride World Championships in Kappl, Austria this January! This is my dream come true and I can't believe it is happening.

I grew up ski racing but switched to freeride 2 years ago. In 2024, I had a bike accident where I ruptured my pancreas, along with multiple other internal injuries. I ended up in the hospital for the entire summer. There were some doctors who told me I wouldn’t ever ski again. These were some of the darkest days I have ever known. Because of the support of the skiing community, friends and my family, I was able to make it through this and get strong and continue to ski and train for competition.

Now, being healthy and qualifying for World Championships feels pretty unreal. I’ve worked so hard for this, and I’m so proud of how far I’ve come, but getting to Austria comes with a lot of costs: travel, lodging, gear, training, and everything in between.

If you’re able to help out, it would mean the world. Every bit goes straight toward making this trip happen and helping me represent Aspen, AVSC, and New Zealand on the world stage.

I am coaching younger freeride kids at AVSC now, which has been awesome, getting to pass on what I’ve learned and watch them fall in love with the sport the same way I did. Giving back to AVSC and the community is very meaningful to me.

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me, picked me up when I was at my lowest, and kept me believing I could do this. I’ll do my best to make you all proud.

— Annabelle