As the annual Ski to Sea multisport relay race approaches on May 25, Cascadia Daily News is spotlighting some of the athletes ready to compete this year. One such athlete is 36-year-old Rache Mureau-Haines from Seattle.
Mureau-Haines will race the cross-country ski leg for the Vamos Outdoors Project team in the Recreational Mixed division.
Originally from Bow/Alger, she has participated in the race for five years.
Skiing has been a part of her life since childhood. “I grew up skiing at Mount Baker,” she shared. “It was definitely the first outdoor activity I did.” Over time, she expanded her interests to other outdoor pursuits during the summer months.
For this year’s race, Mureau-Haines made a key upgrade. “I’ve been renting cross-country skis for years, but this time I decided to get my own pair,” she said. She hopes to get out on them for practice soon.
This year marks her first time racing with the Vamos Outdoors Project team. “I’ve raced with all-women’s teams before, which was fun,” she said, “but I really believe in Vamos’ mission to provide equitable outdoor access, especially for immigrant and Spanish-speaking youth.”
Mureau-Haines fondly recalled racing with her mother two years ago. While they won’t be teammates this year, her mom will still support the team by helping with transportation.
Learning Spanish as an adult has been a challenge for Mureau-Haines. Her daughter speaks the language fluently and often asks why she didn’t grow up speaking it. “Back then, people mostly spoke English to fit in at school and in society,” she explained. “Now, my daughter attends a school where many staff speak Spanish, so she gets to be bilingual. That’s exciting for me.”
Looking ahead to the race, Mureau-Haines is hopeful about the conditions. “There’s more snow this year, so training should be easier and the ski leg is less likely to be canceled.” She also looks forward to meeting her new teammates soon. “I’m excited to connect with others who care about the outdoors and equitable access.”
At the same time, she feels some nerves. “I upgraded from beginner rental skis to better racing skis, so I’ll need to improve my technique.”
With determination and enthusiasm, Rache Mureau-Haines is ready to hit the trails and represent the values of her team this season.