Elite Athlete Spotlight: Sara Tomaier

As part of MMCF’s Elite Athlete Spotlight Series, I’ve been spending time riding chairlifts and skiing laps with some of the incredible young athletes supported through our Elite Athlete Grant program. This week, I met up with 15-year-old ski racer Sara Tomaier for a few spring laps around Mammoth Mountain.

Born and raised in Mammoth, Sara has been skiing practically since she could walk. We met at Chair 1 on a sunny Saturday afternoon, where she rolled up in her MMSST race kit carrying the kind of quiet confidence that immediately made me realize I was probably about to get dropped on my snowboard yet again by another athlete less than half my age.

Sara is a highly technical ski racer specializing in Slalom, GS, and Super-G, and her calm demeanor perfectly matches her skiing style—smooth, precise, and incredibly composed. As we rode laps off Chairs 1 and 3, we talked about everything from ski racing and mountain biking to hockey, backpacking, and music. Beyond skiing six days a week, Sara plays tenor saxophone in the high school band, competes in multiple sports, and maintains a 4.6 GPA.

At a certain point during the interview, I found myself wondering how these student athletes manage to balance training, academics, extracurriculars, friendships, and planning for the future all at once. Whatever the answer is, Sara seems to have figured it out.

Chairlift Conversations

Looking back on your season, what stands out most to you?

Sara described this season as both successful and motivating. One of her biggest goals was qualifying for Nationals, and while she performed well at Regionals, a fall ultimately kept her from qualifying.

Instead of letting the disappointment derail her season, Sara used it as motivation heading into the following race weekend at Northstar—where she went on to win both races.

“I was pretty frustrated after Regionals,” she admitted. “I really pushed myself during those races at Northstar.”

The victories marked her first race wins, a major personal milestone after years of racing.

Another highlight of the season came from traveling and training with teammates at Palisades ahead of competition weekend. Growing up skiing in Mammoth, Sara appreciates opportunities to experience new mountains and train alongside athletes from different programs.

What were some of your biggest accomplishments this season?

In addition to earning multiple podium finishes throughout the year, Sara pointed to her first race victory as one of the defining moments of her season.

She also spoke about noticeable improvements in her jumping and technical skiing this year, something she’s been working hard on both in training and during freeski sessions around Mammoth.

Sara competes primarily in Slalom, GS, and Super-G events, although she admitted downhill racing is not exactly her favorite discipline.

“Slalom is definitely my favorite,” she said. “I like the tighter, quicker turns.”

How did the MMCF Elite Athlete Grant support your season?

For Sara and her family, the MMCF Elite Athlete Grant helped make travel and equipment expenses more manageable throughout the season.

“We were able to go to a lot more races because of it,” she explained.

Like many young ski racers, Sara quickly outgrows equipment, making the cost of staying competitive a constant challenge. The grant funding helped offset gear costs and provided additional support for major competitions like Regionals.

“It made it a lot easier to feel secure about traveling to bigger races,” she said.

What does a typical training day look like for you?

Sara’s days start early. Before skiing even begins, she attends zero-period band at school, where she plays tenor saxophone before heading up to the mountain for training.

After warming up and inspecting the race course with coaches and teammates, training begins around 8:30 a.m. and often continues late into the morning.

One thing Sara emphasized was how mentally demanding ski racing can be.

“Racing looks easy sometimes,” she said, “but there’s actually a lot going on the whole time.”

Visualization plays a huge role in her preparation. Before each run, she carefully inspects and mentally rehearses the course—a process she says helps her stay composed and ski more confidently.

Outside of skiing, Sara stays active year-round through mountain biking, hockey, dryland training, and backpacking trips across the Sierra. Last summer, she completed an 80-mile backpacking route from Horseshoe Meadows to Half Dome.

Who has been the biggest influence on your season?

Sara immediately credited her parents as her biggest support system.

“They’re always supporting me,” she said. “Driving me to school, driving me to the mountain, helping me do the flex FLEX program.”

Balancing academics and athletics at such a high level takes an enormous amount of coordination, and Sara spoke with a lot of gratitude about the support her family provides behind the scenes.

What’s next for you?

Looking ahead, Sara’s primary goal is continuing to lower her race points and eventually qualify for FIS Nationals.

Next season, she plans to focus heavily on training and development, especially now that she’ll have more flexibility in her academic schedule.

“I’ll basically be training all day,” she said.

Long-term, Sara hopes to continue ski racing through college and is already setting her sights high academically as well. She currently holds a 4.6 GPA and mentioned Dartmouth as one of the schools she hopes to attend someday, potentially studying child development and becoming a teacher.

When asked to describe her season in one word, Sara paused for a moment before answering:

“Different.”

Then she smiled and clarified:

“In a good way.”

Speed Round ⚡

Favorite Run at Mammoth:

Philippe’s

Pre-Race Ritual:

Visualizing the course before dropping in

First Chair or Last Chair?

First chair, always

Dream Place to Ski or Compete:

Whistler, BC

Favorite Conditions:

Groomers or powder — just not icy moguls

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Spending the afternoon skiing with Sara was incredibly inspiring. Beneath her calm and humble personality is an athlete with an impressive amount of drive, discipline, and focus—not just in ski racing, but across every aspect of her life. Meeting young athletes like Sara is a reminder of exactly why programs like the MMCF Elite Athlete Grant exist in the first place.

A huge thank you to Sara for taking the time to ski a few laps with me, answer my endless questions, and once again remind me just how fast Mammoth’s youth athletes really are. We can’t wait to see where skiing, academics, and life take her next.