When you take a look at the Olympic athletes, you see many–if not most–who have trained since early adolescence at the least. Late-coming athletes are rare in the Olympic village. Eric Neilson, however, defied the norm and represented Canada in skeleton even though he started training in the sport when he was already 25 years old.
Kate Hansen came in tenth place in luge at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Among Olympians that’s nothing to brag about–but people are still talking about Kate. Why? Kate Hansen has turned out to be not only a remarkable luger who made it to compete in the Olympics, but she also has a happy and fun-loving spirit that helps keep the other Olympians thinking positive.
Jessika Jenson hails from Rigby, Idaho, and grew up snowboarding as well as dirt biking, wakeboarding, and mountain biking. Snowboarding, though, is her specialty.
Jessika first started snow sports skiing at a local resort and switched to snowboarding when she was only 10 years old. Since then she took her training into her own hands and entered every open competition she could. She started competing when she was 14 and found open competitions at local resorts like Kelly Canyon and Grand Targhee. Jessika’s talent made her a notable contender, and she quickly rose in the rankings.
In 2014 for the first time in its history, the National Prayer Breakfast will have a Mormon giving the keynote address. (Mormons are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a faith often inadvertently referred to as the Mormon Church). Senator Mike Lee, a republican representing Utah, spoke on Thursday, February 6, 2014, to a group of many prominent public figures, including the President of the United States.[1]
Early in January 2014, a massive cyclone hit the island group of Ha’apai, leaving destruction in its wake. As soon as the storm hit, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often inadvertently referred to as the Mormon Church) mobilized its resources to provide fast relief to those affected by the storm.[1]
Tropical Cyclone Ian created severe damage throughout Tonga, and hit Ha’apai the hardest. One woman was killed during the storm. The storm caused damage to buildings as well as to power and communication systems. Complete recovery from the storm will take many months.
Despite the overwhelming damage left by the cyclone, The Church of Jesus Christ was ready and able to act quickly to begin providing relief. (more…)