Recoup's Athlete Corner: Michelle Parker, Professional Freeskier

We are continuing our Recoup Athlete Corner Series with a look into the life of Professional Freeskier, Michelle Parker. She shreds on the mountain, rips mountain bike trails in the summer, runs an avalanche safety course in her free time (plus a million more things) - we couldn't be more stoked to have her on board the Recoup Team! 

Hometown - Tahoe City, CA
Sport - Skiing
Mountain - Squaw Valley
      
What's your best/worst injury story? "My worst injury happened from landing on a buried rock off of a cliff. I ended up wrapping my knee cap around my leg and blowing my ACL, meniscus, medial patella femoral ligament, and had to have micro fracture for the cartilage damage. This injury took a couple of surgeries and a solid year off from skiing. It was a painful recovery, but it taught me so much! I find that most injuries have given me incredibly valuable lessons in the end."
     

 

How often do you train/workout?  "I try to get outside nearly every day to be active while also taking into account that every three days or so I may need to take a rest day. Most of my training comes from this and in the fall I’ll add in some gym time to get prepped for the season, but in all honesty I love being outside! Usually this “training” would consist of mountain biking, climbing, hiking, and exploring."

Favorite ski buddy?  "Anyone with a smile on their face."

Who got you into skiing? "My parents when I was just one."

How many days a week do you get out and ski (during season)? "If I had to guess it would be somewhere in the 120 range, but that’s a guess."

Photo - @blattphoto

Weird fact about you?  "My house looks like a jungle…I love plants. I don’t think that’s very weird, but what else can I come up with? Hmm…I believe in aliens."

We know you love to cook – what’s your favorite post-ski meal?  "Favorite post ski meal would probably have to be soup or ramen. Yeah, definitely ramen!"

How do you Recoup? "Recoup has become a part of my daily routine as I wind down after long days in the mountains. Taking care of my body is something that makes me feel grounded and healthy. It goes far beyond just the physical benefits as it’s a moment to check in with myself. The Recoup recovery kit has definitely added to this routine and I can feel the difference in my knee pain as a result."

A word or two about mountain biking? "Mountain biking has become one of my favorite activities and I find it super similar to skiing. It’s really playful, fast, social, and the best cross training in the summer!"

Tell us a bit about your Clinics. "We founded SAFE AS Clinics 8 years ago with the intention of creating an informative one day intro to avalanche awareness course that provided an encouraging atmosphere. It started out as a women’s only clinic, but we now have a co-ed day as well at each location as we quickly realized that guys wanted to join us as well, which is great! This class is super applicable, hands on, and is taught by a handful of top professional skiers and one absolutely incredible lead AIARE certified instructor. It’s been deeply gratifying to teach and host these clinics over the years and I truly believe that each participant gets so much from attending! It’s our way of giving back to the community we are a part of and love." 

Anything else we should tell the world about you?!  "If you want to learn more, you can check out the Originate Series on Youtube or RedBull TV!"

 

Keep an eye out for Michelle on some upcoming trips as she continues to travel the world in search of some incredible lines! 

 

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