Video of Girl's First Ski Jump Goes Viral
Whether it's learning to ride a bike, singing a solo or giving a class presentation, we've all mentally psyched ourselves up before trying something new for the first time. That might be why this video of a brave 10-year-old girl taking on her first K40 ski jump has gone viral online.
Looking down at the slope and jump, Zia, a fourth grader from Park City, Utah, works through her nerves at the top of the K40 jump at the Olympic Park in Utah.
"Here goes something I guess," she tells herself, breathing heavily. "OK, you can do this. I'm gonna jump."
She asks a few last-minute questions of her coach on technique, tries to put it all in perspective by telling herself, "it's a bigger 20," and then takes another deep breath before forcing herself to take that leap of faith and jump.
"OK, here…I…go!" she says.
Her fear gives way to a rush of excitement and pride when she meets her instructor and fellow jumpers at the bottom.
"Just the suspense at the top for the first time freaks you out," she says. "That's the only thing, it's so fun!"
Her mother, Jennifer Terry, posted the video on YouTube, where it has over a half million views, because she thought it was "so real."
"I thought it was a very honest portrayal of a little girl experiencing something huge," she said. "A lot of people can identify with it. You're not talking about a professional athlete. You're talking about someone like you or me who is trying it for the first time."
Terry told "GMA" that Zia, a self-described tomboy, grew up on the slopes and wants to try all sorts of things.
"She's a vivacious little girl. She's tried speed skating. We're going to try ski racing next year and she still wants to continue to jump," her mom said. Next on her list, tackling the K60 jump.
