By Victoria Gaither
Olympic mogul skier Hannah Soar is on a high after spending a week in Washington, D.C., visiting the president and first lady.
Soar, along with 600 fellow Olympians and Paralympians from the Tokyo 2020 Summer and Beijing 2022 Winter games, traveled to Washington, D.C., and was welcomed by President Joe Biden and Jill Biden on the South Lawn of the White House, May 4.
“The visit to the White House was one of those things in life where you go, ‘this might be the coolest thing I ever get to do.’ I tried my best to take it all in and be as present as possible,” Soar said.
She not only got to see the president and first lady but had access to the White House.
“It was an unguided tour of the White House, and the band played the Olympic anthem as we entered — it was awesome!” Soar said. “I love history, so I enjoyed seeing the city and historic buildings.”
Soar also met with Vermont Sen. Patrick Leary and Utah Congressman Mitt Romney.
The meeting happened in a small group, so she and the others got to ask questions and talk about their Olympic experiences.
Later that day, Leary tweeted, “It was a pleasure today to meet the #Vermont athletes on @TeamUSA during their visit to the Capitol.”
It wasn’t all business as it sometimes can be in D.C. Team USA athletics dressed up for a star-studded gala at the Washington Hilton Hotel.
Hannah Soar from Killington attends a gala in D.C.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten dressed up for an event, making it even more special,” Soar said. “ I enjoyed that both Winter and Summer Olympians/Paralympians were at the same event; I got to take a photo with Olympic swimmer Katie Ladecky and dance with Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles.”
Chiles is known for her dancing and flare on the mat.
Ladecky has won seven Olympic gold medals and 15 world championship gold medals.
As for her blue dress, which got rave reviews on the Killington Local Facebook page, Hannah said, “I wore a blue floor-length dress; I wanted to wear something within the USA color scheme and really liked that it had pockets!”
A junior at the University of Utah pursuing a B.S. in economics, Soar is also interested in news and current affairs.
When asked about the recent suicides by top female athletics at colleges and universities, she said a lot about what colleges can do to help.
“I think it is very important that governing bodies and schools provide exceptional mental health resources, provide balanced training, and continuously monitor athletes for mental and physical well-being,” Soar said.
Hannah Soar, an Olympic mogul skier from Killington, was invited to the White House.
She added, “The most important aspect of athletics is to teach people life skills that will be utilized for the rest of their lives, not to create all-star athletes no matter the consequences.”
A philosophy she adopted through her parents, ski instructors at the Killington Mountain School, and experience.
For Soar, her life experiences always bring her back home to Killington. The mountain never leaves her. She participated in the spring bump camp at Killington with Killington Mountain School a few months back.
“That was a great experience. I enjoyed being able to share my love for free bumping and tie-dye with the next generation in a non-mogul course setting,” said Soar.
Right now, it’s all glitz and glam in D.C., but soon the World Cup circuit will call, and next year is the World Championships, so until then, a week in Washington, D.C., with Team USA is “a dream come true,” explained Soar.
