By Phillip Andrews
updated
Wed, Jan 25, 2012 03:07 PM
It's an icy cold afternoon on Killington peak when Gillian
Goodwill and I meet to take some laps on the trail. People shiver
as they shuffle down the mountain and no one seems to want to smile
in these subzero temperatures, regardless of how much fun they
might be having.
That might be true for veryone except for Goodwill, or "GG" as she
is commonly known. She is colorful in both the figurative and
literal sense; her sunny disposition seems to brighten the gondola
cabin and add warmth to the day. Or perhaps it's her bright tattoos
that overshadow even her purple hoodie and orange goggles and
pants.
When asked about her background, Goodwill answered quickly
prefering to talk about where the best spot to shred at that time
of day would be. That is when it becomes apparent that GG's
positive energy and ready smile run tandem with her ability to get
out and ride the mountain, a presumption that is summed up well
when she says, "I get paid to snowboard." Again, smiling brightly,
as if it is the greatest realization a person can wake up to in the
morning. "I have fun every day, I get in at least 100 days in a
year... living the dream for me is being able to be outside
whenever I want to," she continued.
Goodwill has not one, but two jobs that allow her to be on the
slopes nearly every day of the season, she teaches
snowboarding lessons for the resort, which she greatly enjoys;
mostly for the people she gets to work with, especially her
supervisor, John Hobbs. However, GG's real passion is coaching the
weekend snowboarding program for Killington Mountain School
(KMS.) "I've been coaching the snowboard development program
at KMS for four years now, and many of those kids I've gotten to
work with that entire time. Teaching lessons I might get a couple
days in a row, but I really wanted to teach kids that were out
there killing it," Goodwill said with a genuine tone of
gratification in her voice.
After further discussion, it's obvious Goodwill is as proud of the
kids at KMS she gets to coach and this recently turned 30-year-old
can absolutely "shred the gnar" with the best of them.
We get off the gondola car and it doesn't take long for her to find
a little kicker and sail off with a perfect nose grab… or so I
thought.
"Don't use that shot," she shouts out only seconds after
landing, "I was off to the side a bit, I always tell my kids if
you're not grabbing the very tip of the board it's not really a
nose grab, if you use that one it would be a bad example," a
genuine tone of concern evident even over the hiss of snow guns.
Only a few moments later, I have shots of her whizzing through the
air again, this time with results more suitable to her
standards.
When she is not teaching or coaching on the slopes, GG can be found
at the Lookout Tavern giving chair massages in the evening. She is
a licensed massage therapist.
"Phil and Joy have been so wonderful to me over there, it works out
good for everyone," she says. It's good to know that after busting
yourself out there on the hill learning how to snowboard, GG can
put you back together again. "I like to help people," she says, and
it's just that simple.
So what brought this helpful girl to Killington six years ago?
Believe i
t or not, it was the shuttle busses running up and down the
access road. "I lost my license to drive" she tells me "I was
teaching lessons at Gunstock Mountain, (in Gilford, NH) and I had
an hour commute, I wanted to continue teaching lessons and I found
everything I needed to get started here."
Not wanting to wait out getting her license back in her hometown of
North Hampton, NH, and certainly not willing to pass up a winter on
the snow, Goodwill moved out here in 2006 and found roommates. "I
didn't know anyone here at first" she tells me, "but it didn't take
long until I had met a great crew of people."
It's become more and more evident talking with each local livin'
the dream, that a combination of a strong work ethic and desire to
enjoy life are key elements to realizing the dream, here in
Killington. But most importantly, it is the community of people
like Gillian Goodwill and others that are dedicated to helping one
another that makes this mountain special. Those who are here know
they are lucky to be a part of it.
Tagged:
Living the Dream, Gillian Goodwill
