By Peyton Hicks

Athlete: Brandin Burns

Age: 19

School: Spaulding Educational Alternatives (SEA), Barre, VT (Spaulding High School)

Easily spotted blasting rap music through his speaker, Brandin Burns never fails to hype up the SEA Program on a day out on the snow. 

A Wednesday regular at Sugarbush, 19-year-old Brandin participates in the Vermont Adaptive program through Spaulding Educational Alternatives, just adjacent to Spaulding High School. His near-perfect attendance for ski days depicts how truly dedicated he is to his favorite hobby. 

The main reason why Brandin enjoys skiing is because it gives him the opportunity to get out of town, meet new people and experience new things. His curiosity for life not only reflects in his personality, but in his life aspirations. “I want to become a pilot someday,” he said.  “If I could go anywhere in the world, it would be Fiji or Costa Rica.” 

Aside from wearing a helmet, Brandin explains that he’s learned many things over the years including mastering features and jumps in the terrain park. As an ambitious athlete, he seems to always push himself to become a better skier. He’s constantly striving, “to do better than my predecessors. I want people to know that I’m a good skier.”

As Brandin would say, “It’s a slow process, but quitting won’t speed it up.” 

A few other fun notes:

Vermont Adaptive: Who else do you think should be athlete of the week? 

Brandin: Trevor Kennison needs more views. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1BzCwtt2bk 

Vermont Adaptive: What have you learned in the program over the years?

Brandin: Tony knows = Toe Knee Knows. Jumps, rails, and always wear a helmet. (Shoutout to Brian Sweeney)

Vermont Adaptive: What is your favorite music?

Brandin: Everything except heavy metal/screamo. But mostly rap.

Vermont Adaptive: Fav food/drink before skiing?

Brandin: Celsius