I went for my first ride in a balloon at the age of 6 and fell in love with ballooning. After that, I would crew whenever possible to gain as much experience and knowledge as I could get. During my high school and college years I attended multiple festivals and logged all of my training hours. In 2003, I earned my private pilot certificate and really got the bug for competitive ballooning. Prior to kids I would fly as much as possible and attend at least 10 events each year with my highest ever finish being 4th place at the 2009 BFA Nationals in Battle Creek, MI. In 2016, I earned my commercial pilot certificate and have done a few commercial flights since. I took a 5yr pause from ballooning so I could travel and enjoy my 3 boys playing all of their sports. I am making a comeback now that my youngest are 16 and I am training them how to fly which might be the most rewarding part of my ballooning career.