VERMONT VOICES : MAC FOREHAND
sports , including skateboarding and mountain biking . It just came naturally that I wanted to go ride in the Pan Mass and push myself in that way . I ’ m a big mountain biker , but I ’ ve never really been a big road biker . I just had to sit down on the bike this summer , put my head down , and go forward with the training . The great thing about the Pan Mass Challenge is that you ’ re riding for a good cause . That ’ s what you think about when you ’ re riding . If you ’ re having a tough day on the bike , your head ’ s not in it , and you feel like you can ’ t keep going , you remember the purpose behind the event . You ’ re riding for people that are battling through cancer , and they ’ re facing something that ’ s much more difficult . We have a whole team for the Pan Mass , “ Team Brent .” Brent was diagnosed with leukemia at a young age , and I see him all the time now at the Pan Mass . It ’ s amazing , because he ’ s there and we ’ re all there supporting him , supporting his cause , and supporting the causes of the other children , too . It ’ s very emotional when you cross the finish line . You realize that you just biked 200 miles in two days . It feels incredible to raise money for children that need it , and I definitely want to keep doing it for years to come .
Q : I imagine those are memories you ’ re going to keep for a lifetime , just like the memories you have from the parks at Stratton and Mount Snow from your earliest years . Speaking of which , the memories that we make off the slopes can be just as powerful as the time we spend on them . What are some of your favorite memories from Stratton Village ?
Forehand : When I was growing up coming to Stratton , every one of my friends always loved the village . My favorite memories are getting done with skiing and going to the candy store with all of my friends when I was younger . I also loved going to Mulligan ’ s . My parents would take me there after I got done skiing . They ’ d be at the bar , and I ’ d be eating some chicken tenders or playing with my friends in the arcade . Stratton has such a cool culture compared to other mountains , because other resorts might just have a lodge , but Stratton Village is so engrained in Austrian ski culture and its history . It ’ s really cool to have the Village as a core part of my early memories .
Q : One of the most fun things I ’ ve read about you is that if you could choose anyone to play you in a biography film , you would choose Will Ferrell . What aspects of your story and personality do you think he would capture best , and how would you want that movie to play out ?
Forehand : I ’ ve always loved Will Ferrell so much , and he ’ s so funny . If he were to play me , I would want him to play the future , retired me , trying to come back into professional skiing or something like that . He would bring a bunch of droll , dry humor and jokes into it . I think a skiing movie could be pretty funny , especially if
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