Tricia Mangan is an active World Cup alpine ski racer for the United States — but her path to the highest level looks very different from what most people expect.

Growing up skiing a small hill in western New York, Tricia didn’t attend a ski academy or chase a predefined elite pipeline. Instead, she developed through local racing, skied collegiately at Dartmouth, stepped on and off the U.S. Ski Team, and ultimately rebuilt her career as an independent athlete competing on the World Cup circuit.

In this conversation, Tricia talks candidly about:

• Developing as a racer outside traditional systems

• College skiing vs. the full-time World Cup path

• Competing independently and returning to the U.S. Ski Team

• Her evolution as a Super-G and downhill skier

• How she thinks about World Cup success versus Olympic success

• The mental, financial, and personal realities of elite ski racing

This episode is an honest look at what it takes to keep going at the top of the sport — and a reminder that there’s more than one way to get there.