Lauren Macuga

Nickname:
Cougs

Hometown:
Park City, UT

Primary Sport & Specialty:
Alpine ski racing- Speed

Other Interests:
I like to water ski and mountain bike. I also really like to read.

Your favorite thing about skiing/ski racing:
I really enjoy the thrill, exceptionally in speed there is so much going on. You have to remember the entire course, all the little details, and you have to execute it in one go! You can get up to like 82 miles per hour and while going that fast you have to hit a jump or hit a turn just perfectly so you take the fastest route.

What has your sport taught you?
My sport has taught me independence and teamwork, crazy enough! It taught me independence because it is a solo sport. I have learned what is best for me on race day and what I need to do to take care of myself and make sure I am at my peak come race day. I have also learned to work with my team. Though you race against your teammates, they are also the ones that push you to do your best. You cheer each other on! You have to enjoy what you are doing and I know that my teammates make ski racing 100 times better:) I want to enjoy what I do, not only do it cause I'm good at it!

What inspires/motivates you?
I am motivated by my family. All of my siblings compete and for the most part we are all in different winter sports. We may be in different sports but they all take the same path. Through world cups and the olympics we are all trying to achieve the same goal and we are all very competitive. If Sam goes to a world cup I want to go to a world cup, and if Alli does really well at Nationals I want to do very well at Nationals. This has also brought us closer as a family. We all have the same goals, but we also never actually compete against each other. They push me to do my best!

Power fuel of choice:
Almost any kind of food! I always make sure I have something on me because I know my body needs energy. Unlike a lot of other athletes that have bars and stuff I prefer gummy bears most of the time. Perfect for on the hill and have the sugar to keep me going.

Favorite workout or exercise:
I enjoy mountain biking the most. Mostly for the downhill, but you have to go up to go down! You also get to work out a lot of the body while doing this!

Your most valuable mental skill:
My positivity! Ski racing is super hard on the brain. It is really easy to overthink and get yourself down. I am able to stay positive through this. Thanks to my past coaches for telling me to answer everything in a positive way instead of negative I am able to keep myself up.

Favorite ski resort in the US:
Deer Valley Resort, UT

Favorite race venue in the world:
Val di Fassa