![American Hannah Halvorsen (Sugar Bowl Academy/U.S. Ski Team D-team) racing to 13th in the women's classic sprint qualifier on Monday at 2017 Junior World Championships at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah. (Photo: FlyingPointRoad.com)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2017/01/SMF2467.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 18-year-old Hannah Halvorsen, of the Sugar Bowl Academy and U.S. Ski Team D-team, who’s representing the U.S. at her first Junior Worlds after competing at last year’s Youth Olympic Winter Games.
On Monday, Halvorsen reached the semifinals of the classic sprint to place 11th in her Junior Worlds debut. On Wednesday, she raced to 13th in the women’s 5 k freestyle.
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“My full name is Hannah but you can call me hannaH (it’s a palindrome). I was born and raised in Truckee, Calif., and one thing you should know about my hometown is there is no surfing.
I started cross-country skiing when I was 18 months old thanks to Mom and Dad. I currently train in Truckee with Sugar Bowl Academy (team mascot is the Fighting Marmots).
![Sugar Bowl Academy and U.S. Ski Team Development Team member Hannah Halvorsen racing to second in Thursday's skate-sprint prologue on the final day of 2017 U.S. nationals at Soldier Hollow.](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2017/01/IMG_8761-e1484281118348.jpg")
If I’m not training for skiing, I might be cutting someone’s hair with my personal haircutting kit (with no training). If I had to pick a favorite book, it would be ‘Seinfeld’ (is there a book version?).
One of the things I’m most excited about for Junior Worlds at Soldier Hollow is that it will help make America great again. One race I’m especially targeting there is making the relay team.
The best advice anyone ever gave me about skiing or racing was that it should be really fun. One of the best race memories I have is beating a Norwegian.
If I could meet one World Cup skier, it would be Marit Bjorgen.
If I don’t end up being a professional skier, I’ll probably be a coach.
You can follow me on Instagram @hannah.g.halvorsen.”
