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To Reach His Dream, This Teen Will Have to Touch the Sky

COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. — Like his mother, Brian Rice has played just about every sport.

Kat Brauer Rice, a former professional boxer who, according to Brian, was also good at basketball, softball and football, passed down her athleticism to her 16-year-old son. And one more thing, too: her family tradition of occasional ski trips.

Sitting side-by-side on the couch in their small studio condo at the base of the slopes of Copper Mountain Resort in Colorado, mother and son love talking up each other’s athletic abilities, and how the Rices have gone all in on one — Brian’s dream of becoming the first African-American snowboarder to compete in the Olympics.