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Sports

Apple Valley High Schooler Sports Olympic-Sized Snowboarding Dreams

Peter Brichta, 15, hopes to one day represent his country in Olympic snowboarding, and he's working hard to reach those goals.

Peter Brichta likes to dream big.

The competitive snowboarder, a 15-year-old sophomore at Apple Valley High School, doesn’t even have a driver’s license, yet he already has his sight set on competing at the Olympics someday. And it’s a dream that's not too far out of reach.

Earlier this month, Brichta picked up top honors at the United States of America Snowboard Association snowboarding nationals in Copper Mountain, CO, beating out more than 70 competitors to take first place in the Slopestyle competition.

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“After my first run, I was only in third place,” said Brichta, who also competed in the half-pipe event. “I knew I had to improve my second run, and after it I knew I had a good chance to win because I had landed it well.”

When his first-place finish was finally announced, his mother, Blanka Brichta, was there, ready to celebrate.  

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“I wanted to jump up and down,” she said. “It’s a big deal. We’re very happy for him, of course.”

Growing up in a family of skiers, Peter strapped on his first pair skis when he was just 3 years old. When he turned 8, he swapped those for a snowboard after watching his older brother, Paul, try out the rising sport.

“Right off the bat, when I started snowboarding, I started competing,” he said. “I got second at nationals and I realized I really wanted to pursue it.”

Since then, snowboarding truly has become a family business. While Peter continues to find success on the G Team, a competitive snowboarding team at Hyland Hills, Paul, 18, currently is training with the U.S. Olympic rookie team in Colorado.

“It’s very difficult to not support it if you see that they are excited about it and trying so hard,” Blanka said.  “You are just always on their side.”

Supporting her sons' dreams does come at a price—letting go of her motherly instincts, even when their safety is at risk. When Peter was in sixth grade, he twisted his first and second vertebrae and was forced to wear a brace for three months.

“I’m always nervous and always scared for them,” she said. “Both of my boys have had their share of injuries.”

Unfortunately for Blanka’s nerves, neither of her sons has any intention of slowly down anytime soon.

“I think it's just fun to learn new tricks, even if they are dangerous,” Peter said.  “That just adds to the excitement of it.”

One thing Blanka hasn’t had to worry about yet is choosing sides. Paul and Peter excel in different areas—Paul on the half-pipe and Peter on jumps—and they typically don’t compete in the same age category.

Those separations have kept the sibling rivalry in check. Mostly.

“I don’t get to get compete against him,” Peter said. “But it would still be cool to be better than him.”

And there will be plenty of opportunities for him to try. Paul and Peter could find themselves vying for spots in the 2014 Winter Olympics if things continue to go well for both of them, although there’s still one obstacle standing in Peter’s way. 

Slopestyle—his specialty—isn’t a part of the Olympics yet, although a decision should be made soon to decide if it would be added.

But he isn’t letting that possible setback deter his plans, choosing instead to stay focused on the big picture.

“I would like to go to the Olympics someday if I could but I’m just taking it a day at a time,” he said.  “Hopefully the hard work will pay off in the end.”

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