![Elijah Vargas (Steamboat Springs, CO) competing in trials for 2017 Nordic Junior World Championships at Utah Olympic Park in Park City, Utah, on Dec. 30, 2016. (Photo: U.S. Ski Team/Tom Kelly)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2017/02/Elijah_Vargas-XL.jpg")
In an effort to showcase the North Americans competing at this week’s International Ski Federation (FIS) 2017 USANA Nordic Junior World Championships and U23 Cross Country World Championships at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah, we asked those qualifying athletes several questions about themselves — actually, we had them fill in the blanks. Here we have 16-year-old Elijah Vargas, of the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, who’s representing the U.S. at his first Junior Worlds.
On Thursday, he was slated to start the nordic-combined 4 x 5 k team event, with teammates Stephen Schumann, Ben Loomis and Grant Andrews.
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“My full name is Elijah Vargas, but you can call me Elijah. I was born in Steamboat Springs, Colo., and raised in Steamboat Springs. One thing you should know about my hometown is that we have 500,000 Olympians there give or take.
I started skiing when I was two and jumping when I was five, thanks to Mama and Poppa Varg. I currently train in Steamboat Springs with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club.
If I’m not skiing, you might catch me outside, how bout that?
One of the things I’m most excited about for U23/Junior Worlds at Soldier Hollow is having the home event in a place I have skied at before.
The best advice anyone ever gave me about skiing or racing was when my brother told me not to beat him again.
I’m missing 14 days of school to be here.
You can follow me on Instagram @elijahvargas_ and check out @US_noco_underground.”
