WWU student Breezy Johnson is going to the Olympics
Breezy Johnson, a Western Washington University student and member of the university’s Honors Program, has been selected to compete in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, in February.
US Ski and Snowboard announced Wednesday that Johnson, from Victor, Idaho, will join the U.S. Alpine Ski Team as a first-time Olympian. Johnson, now in her fourth season as a member of the U.S. Ski Team, specializes in World Cup alpine speed events such as the Downhill and Super G.
Click here to see a video of Johnson in action.
Johnson studies at Western one quarter each academic year, in the spring. In an interview with WWU’s Window magazine last year, Johnson said she was thinking about becoming an English major because “I can’t get enough Shakespeare.”
She also described what brought her to WWU: “I love the Pacific Northwest, so I knew that I wanted to go to school out here. I visited Western and loved it, and the university was super accommodating about my schedule and the fact that I’m overseas so much of the year. I was also admitted to the Honors Program, which was great because I didn’t know anyone on campus when I got here but immediately was part of a fabulous community through that program and met lots of great people.”
Johnson trains with the U.S. Ski Team in the fall, competes November through March, then comes to Bellingham for classes each spring quarter. While she continues to work on fitness during the spring and summer, she said she enjoys the time away from the slopes to focus on her studies.
Johnson also spoke about her career as a skier and a student in an episode of the Western Window television program last fall. Click here to see the interview.
“The WWU Honors Program was happy to work with Breezy's unusual schedule request (‘I can only do college in spring quarters.’)” said Scott Linneman, director of the Honors Program. “She returns each April excited to re-engage in her academic education, bringing new experiences and perspectives from all over the world with the U.S. Ski Team.”
Going to the Winter Olympic Games has long been Johnson’s dream. “It’s going to be an amazing year, I truly believe that,” she told Window magazine, looking ahead to 2018. “And to my professors, don’t worry, I’ll have my Shakespeare with me. And I can’t wait to come back to Western next spring after the Olympics— hopefully with many stories and a medal to share.”
For more information, contact Paul Cocke, WWU Office of University Communications and Marketing, (360) 650-3350, paul.cocke@wwu.edu
