Athletics + Activities

Zara started playing basketball in November, 2021 in grade 5. She plays AAU club and attends Nike basketball camps each summer to improve her skills. During the 2024 basketball season, Zara was the only 7th grade starter on the 7-8 grade team. In 2024, her team won a historic first place trophy for their school after winning the MAISL Conference Championship. 

Zara started playing volleyball in 2023 in grade 7. As a starter on her 7-8 grade middle school team, she helped her team finish in first place, taking home a historic first-ever volleyball trophy during the 2023 MAISL Conference Championship.

Following this introduction to volleyball, Zara joined a competitive club team to continue developing and played all-around during her club season. During her second middle school season as an eighth grader, she helped her team repeat history by winning another first place trophy in the championship tournament to end the season and her middle school career. She is currently on the U142 National team.

Zara has been on her middle school track and field team since grade 5. She enjoys field events such as long jump and high jump where she often medals. She also competes in relays with other girls on her team and medals in the 100m. Zara enjoys pushing herself to make each new achievement her new baseline to grow from. Her Grade 7 PR for high jump was 4’8”.

In the summer of 2024 Zara competed in a summer AAU Club track and field team, taking home a second place medal in relay for the Dane County Championship. Additionally, Zara earned a track and field hat trick at her first USATF meet, earning a first place medal in high jump, third place in long jump and second place in the 4x200 relay at the Southwestern Association Junior Olympic Track and Field Competition.

Zara has taken private tennis lessons for fun and also joined her school's club team as a 6th grader. She continues to participate in tennis and enjoys playing for fun with friends and family. She hopes to compete as 7th grader and beyond.

Climbing and bouldering has been a favorite sport since Zara was very young. She has attending summer climbing clinics and enjoys the technical skills involved as well as knot tying. Zara is a belay certified rock climber.

Zara's introduction to dance began with ballet as a toddler, Bollywood dance as a young child and she continues to dance weekly with a hip hop group at a local dance studio. Zara performs in 2 recitals per year and enjoys the friendships she has made through dance.

Zara has enjoying skiing since she was 4 years old. She is confident on black diamonds and enjoys occasionally trying the challenges of snowboarding. She has skied in Colorado, Wisconsin and Minnesota and enjoys gondolas and hot chocolate as much as hitting the slopes. Zara does not use poles when she skiis.

Zara enjoys all water sports from tubing and boating to kayaking and canoeing. Every summer she paddles 10 miles in a canoe and stops mid-way to camp overnight on a sandbar, one of her favorite traditions. Zara loves swimming and anything to do with water. She has her own stand up paddleboard which she often takes along with her two dogs, Snowball and Alpha.

Zara loves to travel and be active outdoors. Some of the areas she has visited and hiked in include: Devil's Bridge, Cathedral Rock, Bell's Rock, Banff National Park, British Columbia, The Narrows, Devil's Doorway, White Sand Dunes Park, Jasper National Park, The Grand Canyon, Saguaro National Park, Lake Louise, The Badlands, Zion National Park, Sand Hollow State Park, and many more.