Redding native Troy Chang qualifies for 2026 Winter Olympic Games as alpine skier for Taiwan

Troy Chang almost gave up skiing in seventh grade. Chang was born and raised in Shasta County, and the arduous process of even getting to the slopes was starting to take a toll. “I was pretty burnt out,” Chang said. “I was tired of going in the cold, waking up early and driving to the mountain. I also wanted to play some other sports like AAU basketball.” In 2020, when the world shut down in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Chang’s dreams of being a multisport athlete were crushed. In-person competitions for team sports were halted across the state and the world. So, Chang returned to skiing — it was the only athletic opportunity available for him at the time. By the time he was a...