Bates has been skiing since he was 2 years old and spends approximately 6 hours per day honing his skills in the snowy mountains of Utah during the winter season.

His parents are incredibly supportive of his dream of being a national champion and have him in special schooling that allows him to train extensively during the winter months. When most kids are in school during the winter, Bates gets to ski for hours on end, but has to study more in the summer when most of his friends are off enjoying the sun.

Bates is also supported in part by Twin Peaks Ski Shop, Nick Vigos, Kastle, and Giro, with such things as skis, boots, helmets, and other essentials that keep him warm and safe and better enable him to go for the gold.

A big part of his training plan involves working with specialized coaches and trainers. One of those trainers is strength and conditioning expert Brett Rosen. Rosen owns Integrated Sports Performance (ISP) in Cottonwood Heights, Utah and he is known as the best at developing young athletes desiring to compete at the highest level.

Bates stated, “Training at ISP allows me to ski to my full potential, which will help me excel at competitions this year.”

Rosen helps Bates condition himself to shred all day doing things that are incredibly physically taxing and leave most skiers Bates’ age exhausted and ready to quit.

Rosen’s unique skills and exceptional knowledge base have made him a favorite amongst coaches of other athletes and teams in Utah such as the Brighton High School Boys and Girls Soccer Teams, Lillian Moore (a Utah State record holder in the 100 fly and current BYU swimmer), and the Alta/Bird Freeride Team.

Rosen was quoted as saying, “Working with young athletes like Hank is very rewarding. It is great to see his excitement and willingness to work hard and be coached. His effort and consistency will pay off during competition this year.”

You can follow Bates and his journey on Vimeo, YouTube and Instagram and get training tips from Rosen on the ISP instagram page.