Brenna Ellis took her first ski jump at age 7.

She was in the air for several dozen seconds, had no idea when or where she was going to land but knew in an instant that the newfound sport would occupy her attention for years to come.

"It's an adrenaline junkie's sport," she said, likening the "free fall" feeling to one would get sky diving or base jumping.

For someone used to soaring through the air on a slim pair of skis, it's going to take the Westminster College sophomore a while to get used to going to school on the ground. The 21-year-old, who has more than once been accused by teammates of being "so in the zone," has said she is ready to put the world of snow-covered mountaintops and Olympic-size competition behind her to pursue another dream — finishing college.

"I had been going back and forth for a while, but at the end of each season after I had a month off I was ready to go back to the sport," she said. "But after I hurt my knee and wasn't spending a lot of time on the hills or with the team, I realized I was much happier doing other things."

For Ellis, whose body is built for competition, other things include sports, such as soccer, as well as more time to study. She still gets her fill of the backcountry working as a gear tech for local online retailer backcountry.com, and she is majoring in environmental studies.

"It's really been hard to keep up in school," she said. She is officially retiring from the first Women's U.S. Ski Jumping team, which was formed in 2003 to help women jumpers pave a path to the Olympics.

For the past 14 years, the Park City native has been flying off ski jumps, hills constructed with K-points from 65 to 120, with her longest jump keeping her in the air through 123 long meters. She placed second in the K90 at the 2007 and 2008 nationals. Of all the hills in the world, her favorite is in Einsideln, Switzerland.

"There are no words to explain the feeling you get up there," she said. "There's so much pressure because of the speed you're going and you can't hear anything; it's just exhilarating."

The pale blue foam suit, helmet, boots and goggles, all plastered with reminders from the team's sponsor, Visa, not only help with aerodynamics but have been a standard part of Ellis' wardrobe over the years. It's a lifestyle she lived six days a week, for several hours each day, training for the time when the women's team might be able to compete in the Olympics.