Seth Wescott

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Seth Wescott is my hero because he is a snowboarder and that is my favorite sport. He encourages kids to follow their dreams. He is an inspiration because he has become a professional snowboarder, and it shows that you can really live out your dreams if you are determined, practice, and believe in yourself.

Seth Wescott was born on June 28, 1976 in Durham, North Carolina. He started skiing at age 8 and then snowboarding at age ten. After competing in both sports for a few years he stopped skiing and focused on snowboarding. He also competed in soccer and track in high school. He graduated from Charrabasset Valley Academy near Sugarloaf in Charrabasset Valley. Seth’s father was the track and field coach at his high school. His mother was a dance teacher at the University.

Seth Wescott now lives in Farmington, Maine. He and several friends own a restaurant called “The Rack.” He is building his dream log cabin on 21 acres. He first made a name for himself with spectacular aerial aerobatics in the half pipe. He is a seven time X Game snowboard cross medalist. Four years in a row he was the U.S. National Champion in Snowboard Cross. In 2005, he won a gold medal in British Columbia, competing in the Snowboard Cross World Championship. 2007 will be the 10th year Seth has been to the Winter Cross. In 2003, he survived a close call while heli-skiing near Cordova. He got engulfed in an avalanche that carried him 750ft, but Seth rode it out. “That’s the kind of stuff that feeds my soul,” he said.

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On February 7, 2006, Seth Wescott boarded a plane to Turin, Italy where the Olympic Games were going to be held. Seth was amazing and made it to the final race. Unfortunately, just a week before the big race, Seth tore a ligament in his leg and got thirteen stitches. He didn’t care though; he had been chasing his Olympic dream since 1996. His determination and intense training in the Chugach Mountains in Alaska, helped him pull it off. On February 16, when the gates went down, Seth didn’t get off to a leading start. Radoslav Zidek, a Slovakian, got the head start. Halfway through the race Wescott decided he wasn’t going to be second. He made a startling tight pass around Zidek and led the rest of the way to the gold. Seth Wescott was the first man to win the Winter Olympic Snowboard Cross (SBX). All of his family were there cheering for him. He was overjoyed and in shock. This was his dream come true.

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Seth Wescott has proved that if you follow you dream, you can do almost anything you want to. He is an inspiration to kids and adults all over the world. He told the kids at Mt Eccels elementary in Alaska, “Live out your dreams, they can come true.” He is also an inspiration because he has become a professional Snowboarder. This is why Seth Wescott is my hero.