#WizeWords: Mercedes Nicoll

We sat down with 4x olympic snowboarder Mercedes Nicoll in Whistler over the long weekend with a couple of Wizes. And distance, of course. Here are her #WizeWords on chasing dreams, West Coast as the best coast, and the greatest advice she’s ever received. 
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Was it always your dream to go to the olympics?
Never a dream. Never, ever. It ended up being a goal in 2001. I made it onto the national team and we were in Chile and everyone was trying to go to the 2002 games and I thought, if everyone’s trying to go to this contest, then I need to go. But they’re four years apart, so I had four years to wait. So I made it to the 2006.

What are you doing when you feel the most yourself? 
Laughing with my friends. Gossiping!

Something you wish you did more of daily?
Hugs. 

Best part of living on the West Coast?
We’re way more fun! We work to play. 

Advice for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps? 
Be kind–to everyone you meet. You never know when you’re going to need them, or when they’re going to need you. 

Best piece of advice you’ve ever received? 
My Dad always said, ‘you can go to school whenever you want, but you won’t be able to compete in snowboarding forever’. 
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If you could do only one trick for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Backside 5.