WWU student Breezy Johnson qualifies for Olympics

Western Washington University student Breezy Johnson is going to the Olympics.

Johnson, 22, qualified for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games with the U.S. Olympic Alpine Ski Team, U.S. Ski and Snowboard announced Wednesday.

So proud and excited to announce that I have been selected to represent my country and myself at the 2018 Olympics in Korea! This has been a goal of mine for a long time and I am so grateful to everyone in my life who helped me get here! Now back to work! #likethewind #bestlatebirthdaypresentever . . . 📸 Agence Zoom

A post shared by Breezy Johnson (@breezyjohnsonski) on Jan 24, 2018 at 11:14am PST

The first-time Olympian, who was born in Jackson Hole, Wy., trains with the U.S. Ski Team in the fall and competes November through March. She studies at WWU in the spring quarter and is part of the school’s Honors Program, according to the university.

“I love the Pacific Northwest, so I knew that I wanted to go to school out here,” Johnson told Western Washington. “I visited Western and loved it, and the university was super accommodating about my schedule and the fact that I’m overseas so much of the year.”

Johnson took 15th in the 2017 World Championships for downhill and fourth in the 2016 FIS Junior World Ski Championships.

She is one of 22 athletes who qualified for the U.S. alpine skiing team. Tommy Ford and Laurenne Ross of Bend, Ore. and Jacqueline Wiles of Portland, Ore. also qualified.

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