What was important was how we support each other, how to stay engaged if you're scared and talk about and figure it out, i know it scared some guys. These guys are very comfortable going 90mph on a pair of skis, they know their world and have been doing it for a long time. Even fearless downhillers getting put in an environment that is foreign can be stressful and that's the plan.

John McBride

Categorized in : World

For the first guys in the ice it was brutal, we didn't work together as a team, we weren't communicating effectively.

Once you get in the water everything changes, it's different, there are consequences, you can't just suck in air. You can't cheat.

The first guys were blue by the time they came out, but everyone learned from the experience and we got better at it.

The top tier [ of ski racers ] are all extremely fit, all talented, all work hard, 95 % are extremely passionate about what they do. That final mind piece can be a game changer, the mental skills package is the deciding piece between being an athlete that's contending to be on the podium versus an athlete who is 10th on any given week.

A good testimony to the fitness levels of alpine ski racers is that over history guys like Bode Miller have won the Superstars contest against greats in NBA and NFL and the Olympics and other sports.