Meet Mary Rand! One of the newest of the Threadheads and she SHREDS. Read on to find out how who she is, what she does, her favorite thing to eat post-snowboard sesh, and how she carries on.
Who are you and what's your thing?
My name is Mary Rand and I am a professional snowboarder.
How did you get into your craft?
I've been sliding on snow pretty much my whole life. My parents got me on skis around the age of two before I could really walk. I switched over to snowboarding when I was seven and never looked back. Both my parents and older brother snowboard, it was a family affair. We would drive 3.5 hours from Rhode Island to New Hampshire every weekend and every school vacation. My parents wholeheartedly supported me however they could in following my dreams to become a professional snowboarder. I cannot put into words how grateful I am of them.
How do you kick it during your free time when snowboarding is out of season?
When I'm not snowboarding I skateboard, surf, hike, mountain bike, cook, practice yoga, camp, and just try to relax and re-center.
What would you consider your biggest accomplishment either in your sport or in life?
One of my biggest accomplishments in sport and in life is completing my bachelor's degree, it took me 9 years. I unexpectedly began college after graduating high school in 2010 due to an ACL/meniscus repair. After moving to Washington state and pursuing my snowboard dreams full time again, going to college became secondary but still on the radar. I started going to school online in the summer and fall; I would take about 2 or 3 classes a year. It was definitely not easy to switch gears and be entirely self-motivated, but I'm so happy I followed through and finished with a degree in business management.
Here at Thread, our current anthem is "Carry On". How do you carry on through the good and the bad?
To carry on through the good and the bad I use my breath. Breathing is the only automatic system in the body that we have the power to control. Through practice and patience, controlling your breath can become both your greatest tool and companion in life.
Last question but the most important, you just finished a LONG day of hitting the slopes. What's the first food you're downing to curb the hunger?
Ah, I LOVE food. I pretty much think about it all day, after I eat breakfast I'm thinking about what to make for dinner. After a long day on the hill, the first thing I eat is probably some sort of nut mixture, butter, or bar to hold me over before a preferably home-cooked big meal.
