ZHANGJIAKOU, China (AP) 鈥� Her mom and dad wanted a name that stood out. A strong name.
Since the aerials skier was born in December, and since her parents loved the way the snow sparkled on northern Michigan mornings, 鈥淲inter鈥� felt like the perfect name to give their baby girl when she was born in 1998.
Now Winter Vinecki is set to become the first athlete with the first name Winter to compete at the Winter Games.
Just another in a long line of notable accomplishments for the 23-year-old who hunts and fishes, grows her own vegetables, launched her own foundation (dedicated to her late father), has run a marathon on all seven continents and, oh yeah, just so happens to fly high over the snow.
鈥淚 really don鈥檛 take any day for granted,鈥� said Vinecki, who begins Olympic qualifying Sunday on the heels of her U.S. teammates capturing gold in the . 鈥淚 really just want to take every opportunity that I can and enjoy it.鈥�
That鈥檚 a message instilled by her father, Michael, who died at age 40 of prostate cancer. Vinecki was 10.
Even at a young age, the loss reinforced one thing: Embrace life to the fullest.
So, she has.
Before she reached 15, she had run marathons on all seven continents. Her mom, Dr. Dawn Estelle, joined her on the trek that took them from Oregon to Antarctica, with stops in Kenya, Peru, Mongolia and New Zealand before a big finish in Greece.
She also started a foundation, , to raise awareness of prostate cancer in honor of her father. Through that work, she was invited to the Billie Jean King in 2011. There, golf icon Annika Sorenstam presented Vinecki with the .
Around that time, Vinecki also happened to cross paths with Olympian Emily Cook, who suggested, given her athletic background, that Vinecki give aerials a whirl.
Intrigued, Vinecki accepted an invitation to train with Cook in Park City, Utah.
鈥淚 did my first flips into the pool,鈥� recalled Vinecki, who grew up skiing at Boyne Mountain in Michigan, where her grandfather serves as a ski instructor. 鈥淚 fell in love with it after that first week.鈥�
Now, she鈥檚 doing triple-twisting, double-backflips on the course. She knows this 鈥� dad would've been proud.
鈥淒oing all these flips and stuff? I don鈥檛 think he would ever imagine I鈥檇 be doing that, but I think he鈥檇 think it鈥檚 so cool,鈥� Vinecki said.
The rest of her family certainly thinks it is. Her mom, Estelle, says she and her brothers are 鈥渋nseparable.鈥�
鈥淭ragedy and only having one parent-figure made them depend on one another and trust in one another,鈥� Estelle, who鈥檚 an obstetrician and gynecologist, wrote in an email. 鈥淥ut of that grew deep love, respect and gratitude for each other.鈥�
Her brothers have strong names, too 鈥� Yukon, 24, after the potatoes since Estelle鈥檚 parents own a farm that鈥檚 been in the family for more than 100 years; Magnum, 21, after the tractor series; and Ruger, 19, after the rifle (they鈥檙e big hunters).
As for Winter, she would鈥檝e been Winter even if born in, say, May, because 鈥渨inter was Michael and my favorite season,鈥� Estelle wrote.
While there's a Canadian bobsledder named Christopher Spring and an American luger called Summer Britcher competing in China, there had never been an athlete with the first name Winter at the Winter Games, .
Vinecki is trying for another distinction in Beijing: becoming the first American woman to take home an Olympic gold medal in the aerials individual event since Nikki Stone鈥檚 gold in 1998. (Ashley Caldwell earned gold in the mixed team event Thursday.) The final is Monday.
Any season is ideal for Vinecki's other passion 鈥� the great outdoors. She hikes with her family, hunts (鈥渢he meat that I do eat, I make sure most of it is all stuff that I got myself,鈥� she explained) and likes to cast a line into the water (she went fishing a little while ago for halibut, salmon and rock fish in Alaska). She grows lettuce, kale and herbs in her aeroponic gardening system set up between her living room and kitchen in Park City.
It's there, at her place, that mom, brothers, friends and family will gather for a watch party.
Vinecki will be jumping for them 鈥� and for others who have gone through what her family has. 鈥淣ever give in,鈥� is her mantra 鈥� a world view her dad helped instill.
鈥淗is happy, always fun attitude,鈥� Vinecki said, "has really stuck with me.鈥�
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Pat Graham, The Associated Press
