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SOCHI, Russia — The U.S. women's ski jumping team is ready to make history in Sochi, and they roll into Russia with their own theme song.
The song is called "Spirit," and it has a lot of Utah flavor to it.
When Huntsville, Utah, resident Anna Wilson heard the plight of the U.S. women's ski jumping team, she just had to put it to music.
"I was blown away at their journey,” Wilson said. “Not allowed to compete in the Olympics. They had to sue the committee. The first time they lost, they appealed and won.”
Wilson said the song honors the sacrifices of those who fought to make the hope of competition possible.
"I was blown away at their journey," songwriter Anna Wilson said. "Not allowed to compete in the Olympics. They had to sue the committee. The first time they lost, they appealed and won."
"That story, their human spirit, resilience is how the title came for the song,” she said. “It's called "Spirit." It's about the power of having a dream and pursuing it and the power of the human spirit."
Wilson and husband Monty Powell are both songwriters, and both call Huntsville home.
Powell has more than a dozen No. 1 hits and has written for country star Keith Urban for 16 years.
"Every day a songwriter gets up with an unstrung or unplayed instrument and a blank piece of paper,” Powell said. “Our job is to try and capture what someone else is feeling that day that they don't know how to say."
Wilson said she believes the song will have widespread appeal, but said it ultimately is dedicated to the athletes.
"I tried to include in the lyrics things that were general enough to appeal to a broad range of people, but the nugget that sparked it was the story of those young girls here in Park City,” she said.
Wilson also performed “Spirit,” which is available to be downloaded on iTunes. The proceeds from the song go to the U.S. women's ski jumping team. KSL.com reporter Jon Oglesby contributed to this story.
