No Fall Zone

Chapter 1

THE CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE

Fans of the Winter Games, rejoice! The day we have all been waiting for has finally arrived.

Last night, Team USA rode into the Pyeongchang Opening Ceremonies in a sea of red, white, and blue, hoping to bring home the gold.

Years of hard work, dedication to their craft—and no doubt a lot of sleepless nights—have all led to today, when the Games will kick off with Mixed Doubles Curling and Men’s Ski Jumping.

The real story, however, is on the half-pipe, where later this week, seventeen-year-old Mabel Quinn will be making her Winter Games debut.

A champion of the World Championships, the X-Games and already a decorated athlete in her own right, the teen is the daughter of gold-winning skier Melanie Quinn and her husband, gold-winning diver, Marcus Quinn.

Melanie and Marcus, as fans of the Games might recall, were one of two prominent Team USA power couples in the early and mid-nineties.

This reporter is excited to see if young Mabel will be able to follow in her parents’ large footsteps and bring home a medal or three for Team USA If she earns a spot on the podium, she’ll be joining the ranks of close family friend, nineteen-year-old Ryder Finch, who, despite a fiery mishap that almost cost him his spot on the team, brought his first gold home from Sochi four years ago.

With all eyes on our teen darlings in South Korea, may I be the first to say, let the games begin!

- Mikaela Miller, Inside The Games