Baldwin High School student is youngest member of the National Ski Patrol Young Adult Patroller Program in Northeast Region

Baldwin High School student Gracie Gonzalez had her first ski lesson at the age of 2 — and the rest is history.

Now, she’s the youngest member of the National Ski Patrol Young Adult Patroller Program in the Northeast region.

Gonzalez, who just turned 16, spent time at Seven Springs with her parents and said they decided one day to put her in a lesson. She’s been skiing ever since.

“I like how relaxing it is and how it takes my mind off stuff,” Gonzalez said. “It takes me away from any stresses in Pittsburgh and I’ve made a lot of friends on the slopes.”

Growing up, Gonzalez would watch her father, who is a member of the Ski Patrol at Hidden Valley Resort. One day, the lift broke down and she watched her father and other patrol members from the ground as they worked the gears, repairing the lift while making sure everyone was removed safely. Gonzalez was inspired to become a ski patrol member herself.

The National Ski Patrol is a federally chartered 501(c)(3) non-profit membership association. It is dedicated to serving the outdoor recreation industry by providing education and accreditation to emergency care and safety service providers. They focus mostly on education and training, and the organization includes more than 31,000 members serving 650 patrols in the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe.

Gonzalez got involved with YAP at 14 years old, a year younger than the minimum age requirement. Her boss at the time knew she was incredibly responsible for her age and she took her duties seriously. However, one doesn’t just join YAP — Gonzalez had to undergo many hours of training, including certification in outdoor emergency care and on-the-hill training to get patients down mountains safely. As a YAP, she doesn’t do any patrolling on her own — she shadows senior patrollers.

“Being on patrol combines my love for skiing and helping people,” said Gonzalez, who hopes to enroll at the University of Pittsburgh to become a physical therapist or winter sports trainer after high school.

Gonzalez, who is also a volleyball player and swimmer, is currently nursing an injury to her labrum, most likely due to overuse. She has mapped out a routine for herself, doing ski patrol on weekends and getting her homework done before she goes out to the slopes. She is in trade school in the morning, studying sports medicine, and in the afternoon, she takes core classes at Baldwin High School.

For now, she loves volunteering for YAP and is looking forward to when she turns 18 and is eligible to be a paid member of the ski patrol.

“There’s so many different people out there on the slopes patrolling,” she added. “Physical therapists, emergency room doctors, veterinarians, engineers — it’s really amazing to see.”

Correction: Gracie Gonzalez is the youngest member of the the National Ski Patrol Young Adult Patroller Program in the Northeast region. Due to incorrect information provided to the Trib, her designation initially appeared incorrectly.