Six-time U.S. champion and ex-gymnast Emily Cook grew up in suburban Boston and never let go of a dream to compete in the Olympics. Sidelined by injury after making the 2002 Olympic Team, Cook missed two World Cup seasons while rehabilitating her badly injured feet. She returned in the summer of 2004, competed in the winter of 2005 on the World Championships Team and finally achieved her Olympic dream at the 2006 games in Italy. She battled back to the top again in 2010, earning her second trip to the Olympics (finishing in 11th place) after missing the last two World Cup qualifiers because of a deeply bruised heel.

Cook earned two more World Cup podiums in the 2012-13 season, bringing her career podium tally to a competitive nine. After capping the season ranked second overall in the aerials rankings, she’s coming into the Olympic season experienced but still hungry.

EMILY SAYS
I am so excited to head into another Olympic season, this time ranked second in the world. I feel more prepared than ever, and I feel confident that the experience of participating in two past Olympics will give me the ability to be completely ready for whatever this coming season will bring.

FIRST TRACKS
Cook, whose mother died when she was two, dove into skiing at the age of four and moved into freestyle at 14 as a member of Maine's heralded Carrabassett Valley Academy program. A gymnast and diver as a youngster, she was a combined skier to start. Her first World Cup action came as an acro skier before she honed in on aerials. By 17, she had made the U.S. Ski Team and moved to Park City fulltime to train. She was on two Junior World Championships teams and earned her first World Championships berth in 1999. That same year, Cook was the aerials bronze medalist at the Junior Worlds in Finland.

OFF THE SNOW
Cook has recently accepted a position on the board of the Speedy Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to understanding mental illness, preventing suicide and fighting its stigma through education, research and advocacy. “The Speedy Foundation was formed in loving memory of our teammate Jeret "Speedy" Peterson, and together we hope to continue his legacy, a life of service to others, by making a difference in our communities in this area,” says Cook. Cook also dedicates her time the organization, Right to Play.