By Kendra Hicks

Inspiration comes in many different shapes, forms and sizes. But no matter who your inspiration is, you shouldn't ever ski without it. Now, many people are inspired by the famous people, Lance Armstrong, Beckie Scott, or Chandra Crawford, all incredibly successful athletes with truly motivating stories. But my inspiration is someone who happens to be very close to me...Annika my sis. Yes, even though I live in the same house as her, Annika is my biggest inspiration. EVER.

Annika only really started racing when she was about fifteen. That year, she was slow (harsh, but true). She was a total underdog. She was racing against people who had been skiing all of their lives. You can imagine, she was a little frustrated. But that year, she put in so much hard work at training and kept her head high throughout the season and as a result, ended up placing 13th in her second year of juvenile at the Canadian National championships in Mont Saint Anne. But Annika has really showed me what it takes to be a role model and a successful athlete. She is extremely hard-working, always positive and most importantly, really great and fun to be around. My sister has brought me so far with skiing: she's the one who gets me off my butt when I'm too lazy to go for that hour run on a Friday afternoon, or the one who cheers me up after a bad race.

Annika just recently placed 6th place (5th Canadian) at World Junior trials in Val Cartier over Christmas break. When I found out how well she did, I couldn't believe it. Not only was I ridiculously impressed that my sister was the 5th junior in the country, but for the first time I realized that if she can do that, she can do anything. And I thought about it...Annika has a dream, and she'll work and work and work to achieve that... And she'll do it. Because no matter how impossible that goal is, nothing stands in the way of her dream. So Annika has showed me: if you have a dream and set it out there, anything is possible. I'd write that one down.

Now all of those famous athletes out there have incredible stories, don't get me wrong. I mean Lance Armstrong is a cancer survivor... Inspiring? I think so. But to me, nobody is as inspiring as my sister. Annika: you are awesome.