This week, the Clarion sat down with men’s alpine skier Erik Read.

Q: How old are you and what year are you?

A: I am 25 and I am a senior.

Q: What is your major?

A: Finance.

Q: Where are you from?

A: Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Q: How did you start skiing?

A: I was born into a skiing family, [as] both of my parents were skiers. My parents had me on snow right away at the age of two. I really enjoyed it. I refused to stay at the daycare unless they took me out on the hill.

Q: How did you come to DU?

A: I was also recruited by Utah, but I ended up choosing DU for the sports and location near the mountains.

Q: You had an outstanding season with a lot of top results in the FIS Ski World Cup. What does that mean to you?

A: Well, of course it is nice if you are successful. It is good to see that the work that you have put in pays off, but I also know from my experience, even though I love skiing, there are other things in life.

Q: What has been the highlight of your career so far?

A:Two highlights: one was winning the NCAA championship slalom in 2016. The other was coming down into the lead in Kitzbuhel and holding on against 15 racers.

Q: What are your post-graduation plans?

A: I am a few credits short to graduation, so my goal is to finish up my degree in way it is combined with my goals for skiing. I will ski with the Canadian National Team and try to build on this year’s success. Olympia is also next year, and becoming an Olympic medalist and World Cup winner have always been goals for me.

Q: What is something you enjoy doing apart from skiing?

A: I enjoy hiking, biking, squash, waterskiing; basically anything outdoors.