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Ski - Katie Shackelford (Park City, Utah)
The 22-year-old skier broke onto the skiercross scene in 2001 with several dominating performances. Shackelford has been skiing the majority of her life. As a competitive racer, she was a downhill and super-G specialist and a member of the U.S. Developmental Team in 1997-98.

Katie (on right) hangin out on the course during Winter X Games VI.

In 2001, Shackelford earned an invitation to Winter X Games V in Mount Snow after winning all her heats at the Winter X Qualifier at Squaw Valley. She went on to earn a seventh-place finish. She returned to the Winter X Games stage for VI in Aspen and repeated with another seventh-place standing. In 2002, she heated up the slopes with wins at the Red Bull UltraCross and U.S. Open Skiercross.

During her career as a skier, Katie was faced with a few injury-related setbacks, but her perseverance always seems to prevail as she continued to race through all the obstacles.

Katie splits her time as a student and a teacher. She is completing her communications degree at the University of California - Davis. When she is not working toward her goal of becoming a journalist, Shackelford is on the slopes practicing for the next race and molding the next generation of skiers.

Her hectic schedule leaves little time to spare. Katie looks forward to the time she gets to spend with her family in Park City, Utah. Despite where she finishes on the leader board at Winter X Games VII in Aspen, Katie will have a reason to celebrate as she turns 23 on the day following the event (February 3).