PARK CITY, UTAH (ABC 4 News) – Zia Terry is just ten years old and she’s already a YouTube sensation. The 4th grader is famous for overcoming her fears, on camera, while making her first big downhill ski jump.
“Here goes something I guess.” Zia Terry stands at the top of the formidable and narrow 40 meter jump. She talks her way through her fear. “"I’ll be fine. I’ll do it."
Zia lives in Park City and was with her afterschool ski jumping class. A camera attached to her helmet caught the experience that has now been seen by hundreds of thousands world wide.
"You can do this. I’m going to, I’m going to jump." Zia says it wasn't an easy decision. “It's big when you are pointed down, and it's not blocked off by ropes, and you are looking down it telling yourself to go off. It's that kind of big."
The 40 meter was something she had worked up to. Standing at the top of it she said "Just longer, just a longer twenty, that's all, yep, just a bigger 20.”
More than a minute passes and Zia was still mustering up her courage. She says it's like anything in life that requires new courage. Her advice to others in similar situations is look before you leap, just not for too long. "My suggestion is look down it for about three seconds, and then just say I'm doing it, because what I learned form this jump is the more you look down, the more you feel like you are going to have a problem in your pants."
Zia finally lifted off and landed with cheers of excitement.” It was like you are on a plane, but there's no plane.”
Her recording is now soaring on YouTube and she hopes those who see it are encouraged to live their own dreams. "Try the smaller version, and work up higher and higher until you finally reach your goal”
To see Zia's video, watch below.
