ANDOVER – When Reese Downey was two years old, her parents, Rick and Lisa, put her on a ski hill for the first time.
From what the Andover High junior remembers and has been told, that never scared her.
Eight years later, as a fourth grader, she was part of the Gunstock Ski Club and was involved in a serious skiing accident.
“I was free skiing, and someone cut me off,” she said. “And I landed in the woods, hitting a tree.”
Luckily, she didn’t hit her head.
“I ended up breaking my arm, my leg, and my hand,” she explained. “It was such a long recovery. I had to spend six weeks in a hospital bed. I had surgery on my leg with rods put in. After that, I spent six weeks in a wheelchair. It almost took seven months to fully recover because a few months later, I got the rods taken out.”
Just like when she was a toddler, Downey didn’t get frightened when she returned to the mountain.
“I was able to ski for the next season. It was a little scary, but at the same time, I trusted myself and became more aware of my surroundings,” she said.
Now, seven years after that accident, Downey returns for her third season with the Golden Warriors and is not timid in the least to help Andover improve upon its 4-8 season.
“We’re all excited for the season,” she said, noting that the season opens on Monday. “We have a great group of girls on the team. We had our first practice in the snow (last) Monday, and we’re ready to get going.”
This will mark the first time that Reese will compete for the Andover without her older sister Brooke by her side.
“When we joined the Gunstock Ski Club, it was fun because we competed against each other,” said Reese. “It was always fun, but we pushed each other. I always wanted to beat her, and she always wanted to beat me. Brooke almost always won, but I did beat her once in my freshman year.”
Last year at the state championship meet, Reese finished 43rd in the Slalom (56.29) and 40th in the Giant Slalom (57.55).
“The Giant Slalom is simpler. When you are free skiing, you make those turns anyway,” she said. “Slalom requires more talent, work, and practice due to the coordination required by the gates. I’d rather just go fast in the Giant Slalom, rather than make so many turns.”