Starting at age three and making her way up to first seed varsity in seventh grade, ninth-grader Sophia Wenburg will begin her third year on the varsity Alpine Skiing team in the winter.

Wenburg started racing at Buck Hill at the age of five, just two years after she learned to ski. Now, at 14, she has stayed loyal, competing for Buck Hill Racing Team for nine years.

Wenburg, younger than her opponents, excelled in her seventh-grade year, crushing the courses and advancing to state in eighth grade, where she placed in the top 15 among competitors.

Age, however, was a mental obstacle for Wenburg. “It was really challenging because the people you’re racing are between the ages of 13 and 18,” Wenburg said. “So when I’m 13 and I’m racing against kids who are a lot older, it’s just difficult because they have an advantage. They’ve been on the team longer, [and] they’ve skied longer.”

However, Wenburg believes she has combatted this hurdle. “[When racing, I] try to forget about [the age gap], I just try to do good, and if I do good, the difference isn’t really there,” she said.

Wenburg’s tactics were effective, securing her a feature in the Star Tribune’s high school sports results on Jan. 29, 2025. The story was about a notable victory she had in a conference race against a rival senior from Hill Murray who had taken gold at state in the 2024 season. She defines this race as pivotal in her Alpine career. “It ended up making me really happy [even though] it’s just like any other race,” Wenburg said.

Even on her Buck Hill team, Wenberg gravitates towards the older kids. “I like to hang out with the older kids, to get better,” Wenberg said. “I’m friends with people who are older, just because I really want to be like them and beat them, and whenever I do, … it feels like I achieve something.”

Her passion for Alpine skiing is fueled by competition and dedication. “I’m just a very competitive person, and I don’t really like team sports. I like doing things by myself, … and I like to reach limits and go as fast as I can,” she said.

For Wenberg, the sky is the limit, which has given her room to set goals like placing higher at state during her high school years and skiing in the Alpine Ski World Cup. “I set really extreme goals, because, if I don’t meet them, I ‘okay, it was a reach’, but if I do, then that’s just awesome,” she said.

“Last year, I brought leadership to the team, even though I was one of the youngest on the team; it felt good to be representing the middle school in a high school varsity sport,” she said. She looks forward to what her high school career will bring. “I hope to bring teamwork to school athletics, and although skiing itself is an individual sport, you’re on a team with your friends, and you do everything as a team.” Wenberg looks forward to the 2025-2026 season with high hopes of placing in the state race once again.