Support Stanley's Journey to College and Ski Racing

Hi, my name is Stanley Gavin Bochnak, and I am an Alpine ski racer from Pennsylvania. I’ve been skiing my entire life, and my parents enrolled me in a race program when I was just six years old. My passion for the sport runs deep, and when I was 12, I made the decision to leave Little League Baseball behind in order to focus solely on ski racing.

I’m currently a senior in high school, and I’m excited to continue racing at the collegiate and FIS levels. I will be attending Castleton University (Vermont State University) next year, where I’ll be competing with their Division 2 Spartan team. To help fund my education, I will also be enlisting in the Vermont State Army National Guard, which will require me to attend Boot Camp this summer. While this opportunity is invaluable, it leaves me with little time to work and save for the expensive equipment required for my sport.

Ski racing is a costly endeavor, especially when it comes to equipment. A single pair of skis and bindings alone costs upwards of $1,500, and I need four pairs for training and racing, not to mention poles, boots, etc. Over the years, my parents have generously covered the costs of my equipment, training, and travel to camps and races, and I’m incredibly grateful for their support. In recent years, I’ve worked part-time jobs and even funded an extra week of training in Oregon myself—because I wanted to improve, while easing the financial burden on my parents. They’ve sacrificed not only a significant amount of money but also countless hours. For the past 12 years, they’ve driven me an hour and half each way to and from the mountain every Saturday and Sunday from Thanksgiving through March, in addition to driving me to extended training sessions during the week after work and school.

I’m eagerly looking forward to the upcoming season. This past season (2024/25), I had the opportunity to compete in several FIS races in New York, Vermont, and Maine, where I placed around the middle of the pack against New England’s top racers. (For context, I broke my kneecap at the start of last season (2023/24), so it was largely a recovery year for me.) With the conditioning I’ll receive from Army boot camp and the increased access to on-snow training once I’m in college, I’m confident I can continue building on the strong foundation I’ve developed over my 12 years of racing with Blue Mountain Racing and the amazing coaches I’ve worked with along the way.

As I look ahead to my future and take on the responsibility of funding my education, I’ve decided to reach out to see if anyone might be willing to contribute, even with a small donation of $10, to help me continue pursuing my dream and excelling in the sport I love. Every little bit helps. I’ve included a link to Blue Mountain Racing for those interested in learning more about one of the best race programs in Pennsylvania, as well as links to the US Ski and Snowboard Association and FIS if you’d like to follow my progress or search for me on their athlete pages.

BlueMtRaceTeam.org

www.usskiandsnowboard.org

www.fis-ski.com

Thank you for taking the time to read my story, and for your support in helping me reach my goals!

Stanley Gavin Bochnak