The 2018 Winter Olympics were amazing and 1,000 Dreams Fund was there! U.S. Women’s Ski-Jumper and 1DF ambassador Abby Ringquist’s dream came true when she competed in her first-ever Olympics. Abby’s “never give up” attitude and commitment to pursuing her dream continues to inspire us.

Whether you’re a female athlete, aspiring Olympian or just have big dreams that seem impossible, Abby’s story is something we can all understand.

1DF rallied our girls behind this Olympian as #TeamAbby, sending good vibes and social media love all the way to Pyeongchang. We sent Hampshire College student Casey Chon to the Winter Olympic Trials in Park City, Utah. While Princeton University student Sophia Hu, and top #TeamAbby supporter, got the chance to interview Abby on her experience and advice!

Here’s what she found out!

Sophia:  Who encouraged you to pursue your sport?

Abby:  I would say my older brother has had the greatest impact on my decision to pursue ski jumping. When I was younger, I wanted to be like him and always looked up to him. So when he started jumping, I followed in his footsteps. My parents also encouraged me to pursue athletics, and skiing was a family affair so it worked out that my brother and I would be on skis together.

Sophia: Have there been any key turning points in your development as a ski jumper?

Abby:  There has been a bunch of key turning points. Being apart of the movement to get the sport into the Olympics, and being apart of the development of the sport as it continued to grow helped me develop as an athlete and pushed me to be better knowing that we had more opportunities as female athletes.

Sophia: Do you have a word or mantra that you say to yourself when you’re competing? 

Abby: I had a couple. I would remind myself that it’s just ski jumping, and that I ski jump for fun when I would get stressed. I also said, I can do it. I also reminded myself to smile and have fun.

Sophia: What was the atmosphere like at the Olympics? 

Abby:  It was so cool. It felt like the world was coming together as one to celebrate one another. It felt like the world could find peace. It was great to get to know athletes from other nations and teams as well as enjoy the time with my best friends who I competed against. It is definitely an experience I will never forget and I am so grateful to all of the people who helped me achieve my lifelong dream of competing in the Olympics.

We look forward to continuing our work with Abby to support “girls on the rise!”