Page 1 of Rise After Fall

Zoey

Nine Years Earlier

“Are you nervous, sweetheart?” Mom asks as I strap into my boots.

“Nervous? More like mortified,” I admit.

I stand up and meet her eyes. Eyes full of pride and unshed tears.

“I got you something,” she says.

She fishes in her bag and pulls out a small burlap bag. She pulls the string to open it and shakes a thin silver chain into her palm.

“Give me your hand,” she says.

I extend my arm, and she clasps the delicate bracelet, which has a tiny four-leaf clover dangling from a link, around my wrist.

I finger the charm.

“Thank you. I love it,” I whisper.

“It’s for good luck, not that you need it.”

“Mom, what if I don’t place?” I ask, my eyes never leaving the shiny gift.

She laughs. “There’s not a chance you won’t qualify.”

I bring my eyes to hers. “But what if I don’t? Are you going to be disappointed in me?” I ask, my voice trembling with trepidation.

She smiles and reaches for me, pulling me into a comforting embrace. “Are you kidding me? Your father and I are so proud of you. You’re a bright light in our life. You’ve worked your butt off, and we want this for you, but you’re already a champion in our eyes. The Olympics would just be the cherry on top of all your hard work.”

“Zoey.”

We turn at the sound of Coach Tobias’s voice.

“It’s showtime,” he announces.

I turn back to my mother.

“You’ve got this. It’s just another run.”

I nod.

“Break a leg, kiddo.”

“It’s a sad day here in Lake Placid, New York, where we have been covering the US Olympic Team Trials. At the end of the weekend, US Ski & Snowboard will announce its nominations for the US Alpine Team that will represent Team USA in the 2014 Winter Games.

“All eyes have been on seventeen-year-old Zoey Phillips—an ambitious, hardworking, and talented Alpine skiing prodigy from Boise, Idaho. She is the daughter of PJ Phillips, who was a national champion on the ski circuit in his youth. PJ and his wife, Christine, had their two children—Zoey and her older brother, Patrick—on skis before they could walk properly. Patrick went on to ski for the Division I college team at the University of Colorado while obtaining his MBA. He never sought a professional skiing career, choosing instead to enter the business world after graduation. Zoey, however, has trained under world-renowned coach Tobias Taut since her family moved to Vail when she was six years old.

“Already an accomplished athlete with an impressive number of World Cup wins under her belt, she was on course to become one of the youngest Olympic medalists in the history of the sport. A spot on the team headed to Sochi was expected for the young lady with less than eighty disciplines in the FIS points system. However, tragedy struck on the slopes during a high-speed crash yesterday, resulting in a grade-three concussion, a fractured humerus bone in her left arm, and a severe cartilage tear in her right knee, requiring immediate surgery and taking her out of Olympic contention for next year’s games, devastating her legion of fans all over the world. We here at ESPN are included in that number. We wish Zoey a complete and speedy recovery.”

“Turn it off,” I demand as I roll to my side and stare out of the hospital window to the gray sky.

Mom takes hold of the remote sitting on the tray beside my bed and clicks the power button.

“Everything is going to be okay, Zoey. These things happen all the time. Your father and Tobias have the best of the best consulting on your care and recovery. The surgeon has done this procedure hundreds of times,” Mom reassures.

I don’t reply. I just continue to stare at the darkening horizon.