Ty Sprock of South Lake Tahoe to Compete in Junior World Ski Championships

South Lake Tahoe may just have a future Olympian in its midst. 18 year old Whittell High School graduate Ty Sprock is one of 16 elite U.S. athletes that will be competing in the 2014 FIS Alpine Junior World Championships in Slovakia February 26 through March 6.

Sprock has spent his life on snow, having started skiing on the slopes of family owned Sierra Ski Ranch when he was just 16 months old. The talented young skier joined the Heavenly Ski Team when he was 5 years old, and later skied for Diamond Peak Ski Foundation and the Sugar Bowl Academy where he attended winter school. He is now coached and trained by Guenther Birgmann at the Treble Cone Race Academy(TRCA) which is operated in New Zealand and the U.S.. He has summer trained in New Zealand for the last 5 years and has also summer trained in Chile.

Ski racing is a family affair for Ty since his dad Peter is also his coach (as well as a coach with TRCA) and mom Juli travels with them. Juli also hosts national and international athletes at their home. She says it was tricky schooling Ty since he was racing around the country, and the world. he took internet classes as well as time in the classroom. Even with all the traveling he was able to play four years of football and three years of baseball at Whittell before graduating. "I'd like to thank my parents for all they've done," Ty told SouthTahoeNow.com. "I was very surprised to hear about being named to the World Junior Championship Team," added Sprock. "I didn't expect to make it so I'm super excited."

He is a technical skier and will be racing Slalom and possibly other disciplines. After Europe he heads to Colorado and then Canada for the Nor-Am races where he is in contention for the Northern America Junior Slalom Championship. Mid-March he heads back to Lake Tahoe for the U.S. Championships at Squaw Valley. Competing in the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea is a goal of Sprock's, but before that, there are the Junior World Championships to conquer.

Another Lake Tahoe skier, 19 year old Lila Lapanja of Incline Village, will also be headed to the Junior World Championships. Lila is a good friend of Ty's and her dad Vojko was one of his coaches at Diamond Peak along with Josse Lacasse.

"There is a lot of talent and drive with this young group of athletes and their NorAm results this season reflect the hard work they’ve put in to make this elite team," said Patrick Riml, U.S. Ski Team Alpine Director. "The World Junior Championships provide a platform for these young athletes to measure that ability against the best young athletes in the world."