For junior Henry Perrin, his love of skiing stems from two things: competition and community.
A member of La Salle’s ski team — who was first introduced to the slopes at the age of four by his dad — Perrin explained that the sport has consistently been an activity his family enjoyed, with his dad having skied competitively in college and after it.
“He’s the one that got me on skis,” Perrin said. “He’s the one that’s been pushing me to keep doing it, which hasn’t been a struggle.”
In addition to playing tennis and football, Perrin picked up skiing competitively his freshman year at the encouragement of his dad. With practices on Thursday and competitions only on the weekends, he explained that balancing his three-sport athlete commitments in the winter hasn’t been a difficult adjustment, as the schedule leaves his afternoons free during the week to hang out with friends, listen to music, and complete schoolwork.
What he enjoys most about being a skier is how it has connected him to the communities he is close to — his family, team, and students from other schools who also enjoy skiing — and how fun it is to speed down the mountain.
“It’s always been something I love to do,” Perrin said. “You get to go fast, and, like I said, you get to meet a lot of new people.”
His biggest supporter from the start — and the person Perrin said has most shaped who he is today — is his dad.
“Before I could drive, he’d take me up there every practice, every weekend,” Perrin said. “He still comes to all my races, and he’s always encouraging me and giving me tips.”
Along with his dad’s support, Perrin explained that what motivates him is his mindset, love of skiing, and his team. At the end of the day, from his perspective, the most important aspect in this sport — and in life — is his personal narrative, self-talk, and positivity. While he enjoys being on the mountain, when he needs motivation, that’s what he focuses on: what skiing has taught him about himself, and the bonds he has forged with other people on the team.
“It’s not just all about me; it’s about helping the team,” he said. “I just remember I [have] to do it for my team.”
High school skiers compete in two races: slalom and giant slalom.
At competitions, the top three times from these events contribute to the team’s overall points. These, Perrin explained, impact the team’s ranking compared to other schools and their chances of advancing.
“The whole goal is to make it to state and win,” he said. “It’s really the competition and the rivalry that keeps me going.”
Outside of school and sports, Perrin participates in the First Aid Club, likes listening to music, and enjoys catching up with his friends. One of his goals for the future, along with attending college and focusing on social studies, is to go skydiving with them, which he explained would “be just a fun experience, even though it seems a little scary.”
His interest in humanities is reflected by his favorite class at La Salle, Psychology, as he finds the way people interact with one another, form relationships, and create community to be incredibly interesting and important.
An attitude that Perrin tries to maintain across his sports, academics, and personal life is one emphasizing the importance of perseverance and dedication to whatever he is doing.
“If you keep persisting through it, you’ll eventually get the hang of it,” he said, whether it’s a tough class, new hobby, or sports practice. “You’ve just got to remember that and not give up.”
