Alexis Carter, senior, is an easy-going girl who loves to try new things.

Throughout our interview, Carter tended to either smile shyly, look away, or play with her hair.

Carter has a stunning smile, bright blue eyes and long brown hair.

Although Carter likes to paint her nails, do her hair, and dress nicely, she isn’t confined to stereotypical “girly” things.

“I just love being outdoors and doing things out there,” Carter said. “I think we were blessed with it being beautiful outside, so I take advantage of it.”

Carter ran cross country for one year and track and field for three years.

Outside of school, Carter fishes and skis.

She loves the mystery of fishing when you “cast the reel and you wait and wait, until finally something happens.”

Carter also enjoys competing in mountain bike races. Unfortunately, her first race didn’t go very well.

“My very first mountain bike race I crashed multiple times,” she said. “I fell into ditches and even other racers. I now earned the name Alexis ‘Crash’ Carter.”

Carter also participates in triathlons.

She is part of a team called Tri for Life and competes in three or four triathlons every summer, where she races against men and women of different ages.

“My stepdad actually inspired me to do triathlons,” Carter said.

Carter explained how her stepfather did triathlons all the time and watching him made her want to see what it was like.

She did her first triathlon with her stepfather when she was 12 years old.

“I did it and it was very scary at first, especially swimming, but my stepdad was right by my side the whole time to help me push along and motivate me not to give up,” Carter said.

Carter’s favorite thing about the triathlons is the people.

“I really love the people. They are all so happy and outgoing,” Carter said. “There are so many positive vibes. I could have just finished my worst race ever and everyone would make me feel better.”

She has never been seriously injured in a triathlon. The worst injury she said that she has had was scraped knees from falling, but she did not really feel it because of “so much adrenaline” she had rushing through her.

To Carter, one of the biggest achievements is to finish a triathlon.

“The only competition you’re up against is yourself,” she said. “I do it because it’s fun. I guarantee you will be addicted to them once you finish. Just like I am.”

The triathlon length depends on what you race in, and Carter most often competes in sprint triathlons.

A sprint triathlon, which is the shortest triathlon, consists of a half-mile swim, 12.4-mile bike ride and a 3.1-mile run. The longest triathlon is known as the Ironman.

Carter hopes to do an Ironman triathlon next fall.

Ironman triathlons are widely considered the toughest one-day sporting events, it consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 miles of biking, and a 26.2 mile run.

This past summer, Carter tried something new and went cliff diving in Marquette. Her love for nature led to her desire to live in Marquette because it is “naturally pretty” and has many bike trails.

Carter’s final remark regarding the outdoors and nature was, “It’s just something that I love.”