Alumna Spotlight: Allison Mollin- World Cup Skiing, Female Coaches, and More!

We are excited to welcome Allison Mollin this month on our blog. Allison (also fondly known as Amo or ‘lil ripper’) is a Keely’s Camp Alumna and current US Ski Team Member. Allison just completed her first World Cup start in Crans-Montana, Switzerland this February!

Tell us a little bit about yourself, where are you from, when did you start skiing, and what are you up to now!

A: I’m from the coast of California, but I’ve lived in Truckee CA since I was 11 years old. I began skiing whenI was 4 and started racing when I was 6. Currently I train and travel pretty much full time with the US Ski Team as a member of the Europa Cup Women’s speed group. I am also taking remote college classes through CU Boulder. 

Which Keely’s Camps have you attended?

A: I have been to the Mt. Racing camps many times. I also attended the Montana Bell Lake Yurt trip in 2017 and the Iceland Ski to Sail Backcountry Camp 2018. I got the opportunity to be a coach intern in 2021 and returned as a coach in 2022!

How did it feel to race in your first World Cup Race? 

A: The first few days leading up including the training runs it didn’t really sink in. I felt like I was going through the same routines I’ve done for a race since I was a U12. When I got in the start on the first race day I got so overwhelmed with a feeling of accomplishment. I was really unbelievably happy for where I was standing and what all had gotten me there, while knowing that it was a fleeting moment and trying to take in every ounce of it. Putting my poles over the wand I was holding back happy and relief tears while trying to remind myself that I still needed to ski. Crossing the finish line at the bottom with all my teammates, family, and the huge crowd cheering was really a moment I will never forget. Walking around in the finish after the race I realized that I wanted this every single race, cementing my goals to race World Cup full time. 

What are your goals/hopes/dreams for the next few years?

A: In the next few years I would like to be racing on the World Cup circuit full time and make breakthroughs into world cup points with growing consistency.

Have you had many female coaches? How have they impacted your development as a skier and person?

A: I have actually only had female head coaches my past five years in the sport. Lindsay Dowd and Anna Sullivan were not only compassionate to certain struggles as a female athlete, but demonstrated the grit and determination that women can have in ski racing. Growing up attending Keely’s camp I was lucky to never have the notion that women do not belong or cannot be good ski racers or in the backcountry ripping down mountains. Seeing leaders like Keely, Lindsay, and Waddle, I always assumed that is how it was supposed to be. 

Tell us about your backcountry skiing experiences at Keely’s Camp. How did these types of non ski racing camps help you grow as a skier?

A: These camps helped me to realize that I really just love skiing and the mountains. These camps also reinforced the idea that skiing is so much bigger than just ski racing.

Any advice for the next generation of Keely’s Campers?

A: Be patient and look around. It is good to have goals that drive you in ski racing and in life, but don’t live from achievement to achievement, that is not when life happens. Life happens in-between. So be patient with yourself and look around once in a while, ski racing usually has a pretty good view.