- The Rowmark program at Rowland Hall in Salt Lake City has produced some of the top Olympic skiers.
- Three U.S. Olympians and one Australian athlete have graduated from Rowmark's ski program.
- A Rowmark contingent is coming to Cortina to cheer on the athletes from the program.
MILAN — Olympic athletes come from all corners of the country.
But there is a bit of a direct path from 9th and 9th to the top of the slopes.
Within the halls of Rowland Hall, there is a program with a propensity for getting young men and women ready to ski at the highest levels. It's called Rowmark — and its reputation speaks for itself.
Of the 232 U.S. Olympians, 81 have ties to the state of Utah. Of those, three boast they attended this small school in Salt Lake City's 9th and 9th neighborhood: Breezy Johnson, Katie Hensien and Mary Bocock.
"I went to Rowland Hall my whole life, and I still have really strong ties to Rowmark," Bocock said during a pre-Olympics press conference in Cortina, Italy, on Wednesday.
"It's a really good school," Johnson added.
In addition to Team USA's three athletes, a Rowmark graduate also made the Australian team.
Per Lundstam is the program's director. Asked about Rowmark's track record, he said the school has had "a lot of success actually" throughout its history.
Lundstam credits that success to a combination of location and culture. The program offers high athlete-to-coach ratios and a lineage of success. And having ski resorts just minutes out the back door doesn't hurt.
Rowmark will be sending a contingent to Cortina to root for its alumni as they battle the best athletes in the world, all trying to make their mark as the best athletes in the world.
Parents feel pride. Coaches do too.
"When you work with them for a long period of time, you almost gel as humans, and it becomes a part of you," Lundstam said. "So absolutely you feel pride."
There is one bit of unfortunate late news. Katie Hensien qualified for the Olympics but is a late scratch. She broke her leg and has been recovering, but posted on social media that she's not back — yet. (Emphasis on the word "yet.")
Salt Lake's Games are eight years away. Friday, after completing a training run, both Breezy Johnson and Mary Bocock said they're excited to be in Cortina now — but both also gave a nod to the Salt Lake Games in 2034 where, should they qualify then, they would be hometown athletes.
