# @utah2034 on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/BfmqNkjjdvH
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/34664657-utah2034-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/9f6a8bee28.jpg
- **Posted:** 2018-02-25T03:09:27.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Salt Lake City-Utah 2034 (@slcut2034) — https://gondola.cc/slcut2034

## Caption

🇺🇸Here is the thirteenth story on Utah Olympic athletes featuring @will_rhoads a ski jumper from Park City. 📸: @will_rhoads @lukasdimtry @usskiteam
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Will Rhoads, who has won the U.S. National Ski Jump Championship three consecutive years, admits that if his hometown of Park City hadn’t hosted several Olympic events in 2002, he might have remained one of those Americans unaware of ski jumping’s majestic beauty and mental challenge.
“I remember seeing it on TV,” he said from his apartment in Slovenia where the team spent nearly seven months training. “I was kind of blown away…”
Rhoads and his two sisters took up ski jumping at Utah Olympic Park thanks to developmental programs that were created in the wake of the 2002 Games.
“Right after the Games ended, they built some small hills, and I was really excited about the whole thing.”
Even before Will made the team, his family bought their tickets to South Korea, and they were in the crowd when he qualified for his ski jumping final, finishing 45th in the qualifying competition.
Earning a spot on the 2018 Olympic team required significant sacrifices, from both Will and his family. But standing at the top of the hill in the Alpensia Ski Jump Center made it all worth it.
Like many Olympians, Rhoads has made tremendous sacrifices to chase the dream of representing the U.S. in an Olympic Games. “This is the dream,” he said. “This is the dream come true. I’m going to remain in the moment as much as possible, not think too much about, ‘Oh, this is such a big stage.’ And I think everything else will sort itself out in my favor.” For his family, they will do what they’ve always done — stand at the bottom of the hill and support him no matter the result. This is, in a lot of ways, their journey too. “We’ve seen this coming for a really long time,” said Chris Rhoads. “I kind of feel like a kid again, myself. Just the joy of being here, the excitement of having the whole world around us, competing together. And we’re here with him.”
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#WinterOlympics #WinterGames #SLC #SLC2026 #SLC2030 #wintersports  #slc #utahisrad #saltlakecity #igutah #utahgram #wowutah #Olympics2018 #FlyToPyeongchang #PyeongChang2018 #Olympics

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## Tags

flytopyeongchang, wintergames, utahisrad, utahgram, slc2026, olympics2018, wowutah, winterolympics, slc2030, pyeongchang2018, igutah, slc, saltlakecity, olympics, wintersports

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