Another year has passed, this one has been very different but special in its own way! Keep scrolling to gain an insight into my life.
With 2020 now complete I thought I would have a look back at the year to appreciate everything that happened and to share my experiences with you. Although it seemed like the world had thrown everything at us during 2020 I still managed to create some amazing memories that will last a lifetime.
B.C. - Before Covid!
January was fantastic as I felt relaxed in the knowledge that I had previously qualified to participate in the up coming Youth Olympics Games. My preparations were well underway as I was presented with great training opportunities on my home slope of Reiteralm in the Austrian Alps. Back home my family and friends had organised a charity fun ski race to help fund my trip to the games, the day was extremely successful as I received support from many people who I had grown up with. I would like to thank everyone who attended the event and offered their support.
On to the Games!
Representing my country in front of the eyes of the world made me feel extremely proud as my parents and grandma were there to share the experience with me. All the hard work that I had put into my fledgling ski career boiled down to one week of racing. I skied well and displayed to the world what I was really capable of, I had achieved the fastest first split in the first run of the GS! Although not everything went quite to plan there were glimpses of brilliance on show. My childhood dreams of becoming an Olympic ski racer had just been fuelled with the added belief that anything was possible.
Moving on into February, I quickly learnt that you can't stay on cloud 9 forever and that you can very quickly fall off. After the games I struggled to ski to my full potential and became frustrated with some of my results, this was a tough period but I just had to keep working away. Late February my hard work was rewarded as I was presented with the opportunity to race in my first ever European Cup race in Berchtesgaden Germany. Another step closer to my dreams, but I knew I'd be a very small fish in very big pond. Although I didn't managed to complete the race I'm happy with how I approached the new challenge.
March saw Covid extended its influence to all corners of the globe and brought my season to a premature end. Despite this unexpected early finish to the season I was extremely proud of what I had achieved, I could never have dreamt of representing my country at such a level whilst still only 17.
Lockdown ensued and with it the restrictions which affected everyones daily routines. From a personal perspective whilst being far from ideal it provided me with an opportunity to reflect on my progression and training practices. I can honestly say that due to the restrictions the old adage of "necessity is the mother of all invention" is more relevant today than ever as I had to utilise our natural environment of Pendle to supplement my training needs.
August arrived and with it I was fortunate enough to attend the Saas Fee training camps with Team Evolution where we managed to test some of our new seasons equipment. The conditions were fantastic and the sensations I experienced reminded me of how fortunate I was to have the privilege of working in the beautiful alpine environment.
Winter started in December and was very different to previous ones I had experienced. A limited number of FIS races were being held throughout Austria and this has provided me with the opportunity to spend more time training to improve the various technical aspects of my skiing. I'm hoping things will improve somewhat in 2021 with the positive news that a second vaccine has been approved by the government and with a vaccination roll out being implemented across Europe.
One final piece of good news to share with you is that I'm super pleased to announce that I've recently teamed up with the Falke brand to promote their products. Falke are one of the premier ski clothing manufacturers who have delivered craftsmanship, quality, design and innovation for 125 years, their products include socks, base layers, hats and sports leisure wear.
I hope you have enjoyed this brief insight into my 2020 and I hope you stay safe and well throughout these difficult times. I can now say that I truly appreciate the fantastic opportunities, experiences and special privileges so much more than I previously did as perhaps we have all taken these for granted somewhat whilst going about our modern lives.
Best wishes,
Robert