Tricia Mangan: The Unconventional Path to World Cup Ski Racing

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 systemsCollege skiing vs. the full-time World Cup pathCompeting independently and returning to the U.S. Ski TeamHer evolution as a Super-G and downhill skierHow she thinks about World Cup success versus Olympic successThe mental, financial, and personal realities of elite ski racingThis 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.