San Francisco Chronicle, CA
Feb 14 2010

USF student competing in Olympic slalom
John Crumpacker, Chronicle Staff Writer

Sunday, February 14, 2010

As it turns out, father does know best, at least when the father is
Dr. Armen Serebrakian of Novato.

The exercises and drills that the good ear, nose and throat doctor put
his son and daughter through as children led, in due time, to daughter
Ani making it to the Winter Olympics as a member of Armenia’s
four-member team.

"It’s kind of funny," 21-year-old Ani Serebrakian said. "My classmates
said this day was coming."

It’s here. Ani marched in Friday night’s Opening Ceremonies at BC
Place Stadium with her three teammates, the sixth country in a roll
call of 82 countries to have their moment in the indoor spotlight.

Serebrakian, a sophomore at USF and a Marin Catholic High graduate,
will race under the colors of Armenia in the women’s giant slalom on
Feb. 24 and the slalom on Feb. 26 at Whistler. Her Armenian parents
were born in neighboring Iran and emigrated to the U.S. more than 30
years ago.

Armenia, competing as an independent nation since 1994 after the
dissolution of the Soviet Union, has never won a Winter Olympic medal.
Serebrakian does not expect to be the first.

"I’m kind of still in awe that I’m here," she said. "I’m not
surprised, but it hasn’t hit me yet. I’m just really enjoying the
whole thing. My whole goal was to make it to the Olympics. Qualifying
for it, I feel I’ve achieved so much already. I’m excited to ski with
the best in the world and do my best."

Reaction to tragedy
Like other athletes in Vancouver – and, really, anyone involved in the
Olympics – Serebrakian was saddened to hear of the death of Georgian
luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, who died Friday in a training accident.

"We were so upset and sad when we heard," she said. "It was great that
they even came to the ceremonies. We’re going to go over to their team
and offer our condolences."

After marching into the stadium and taking her seat, Serebrakian said
she was so moved by the events of the day that "I sat down and cried."

Serebrakian’s two slalom events are considered safe by skiing
standards as they require technical skill in negotiating around the
gates with proper form and efficiency, rather than a healthy dose of
courage.

"Slalom is my favorite," she said. "I just really enjoy the whole
thing. It’s very quick. You’re hitting the gates. It’s very
therapeutic to me. It’s almost like boxing, because you’re hitting the
gates as you go downhill. Just like boxing with any kind of aggression
or anger, you want to win, so you put it out there."

Starting early
The young woman seen smiling and holding a small Armenian flag in the
Opening Ceremonies has been preparing for this moment since she was 2
years old, when her father put her and her brother Armon, now 22, on
tyke skis at Northstar-at-Tahoe. Dad had his kids racing when they
were 5.

Once she mastered the kids’ hill at Northstar, Serebrakian moved on to
Squaw Valley, where she continues to train.

"My dad got my brother and I skiing as soon as possible," she said.
"He himself was a skier. He’s a very athletic person. One of the
things he liked about skiing was it was for the whole family.
Eventually, he saw we were good enough learning to ski that we started
racing at age 5."

As kids, Ani and Armon were running up a hill outside their elementary
school at their father’s urging and later going through drills in
their middle school gym before the first bell rang.

"They would open it specifically for us so we could use it," she said.
"We’d whine, but we’d go. He’d get us doughnuts afterward."

Armenian roots
Serebrakian grew up American in every sense, a Marin County girl
excelling in school and on the tennis courts. However, a recent visit
to the old country kindled in her a sense of what it is to be
Armenian.

"The whole idea to go for the Armenian team began two years ago when
we visited the country for the first time," she said. "We kind of fell
in love with it. That brought us to qualifying for the Olympics and
here I am."

Serebrakian said her brother, who lives in Boulder, Colo., is also an
accomplished skier. He fell short of qualifying for the Armenian team,
however, spoiling what would have been a great story of skiing
siblings.

"I’m very privileged. Very privileged," Serebrakian said.

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