Beginning My World Cup Journey
My identify is Annika Hunt, and that is my second season as a Toko athlete. I’m 18 years outdated, and I’m at present taking a niche 12 months—coaching, racing, and touring the world. I not too long ago raced my first World Cup in Levi, Finland, and I needed to share a few of my reflections on the expertise. Whereas this isn’t typical E-blast content material, I hope it presents perception for aspiring World Cup skiers on the lookout for a rookie’s perspective.
Becoming a member of the Crew in Levi
A number of weeks earlier than my World Cup debut, I joined the U.S. Ladies’s World Cup workforce in Levi. I used to be nervous to enter this group as a result of I felt like an imposter to those World Cup veterans, and I used to be intimidated by the ladies. However the workforce was very welcoming, and truthfully, dwelling and coaching with these girls was not so totally different from what I used to be used to.
The one actual distinction I needed to adapt to was the extra rushed every day coaching schedule. There’s a set begin time for every coaching day, so we present up, examine, and begin at that designated time. Usually, I prefer to take just a few freeski runs earlier than I prepare in a course, however to make the beginning time with this workforce, I couldn’t take any warm-up runs most days. Moreover, we needed to keep collectively throughout coaching, so there was no time to fall behind. That routine pushed me at first, but it surely additionally helped me regulate shortly.
Discovering My Place
General, although, the transition was fairly straightforward, which was an enormous assist going into my first World Cup. Having time to regulate and prepare with the World Cup workforce helped me really feel much less like an imposter and extra like I truly belonged racing there.
I discovered that coaching, touring, and dwelling with this workforce isn’t so totally different from my very own program—despite the fact that the stakes are increased. It confirmed me that the highest athletes aren’t essentially doing something particular to be at their stage. Should you work onerous and wish it badly sufficient, I feel you possibly can attain the very best stage extra shortly than you assume.
Race Week Nerves
As race day approached, I grew extra nervous but in addition extra excited. I stored reminding myself that there have been no expectations of me and targeted on what I used to be technically engaged on.
All of the World Cup athletes began exhibiting up just a few days earlier than the race. We ate with them on the athletes’ meals and skilled with them. To be trustworthy, I used to be starstruck at first.
Seeing Myself as a Competitor
Coaching with so lots of my idols, assembly skiers I had solely seen on TV, and easily being surrounded by these athletes was an unimaginable expertise. Nonetheless, I needed to begin seeing myself as one in every of their opponents if I used to be going to deal with this race like every other. That was essentially the most difficult a part of racing my first World Cup: treating it like every other race.
However, I attempted, and truthfully, I had an awesome mindset going into the primary run. I went by means of the inspection and warmed up as traditional. I listened to my music and solely watched just a few racers on the TV in hospitality.
One among my teammates advised me that in her first World Cup, she watched the complete high 30 on TV earlier than going up for her run, and that made her really feel like she wasn’t a part of the race. So I took her recommendation and watched only some skiers.
After I went up for my run, I used to be nervous but in addition very excited. Standing at the beginning, it lastly felt like every other race.
A Robust First Run—however a Highly effective Lesson
Sadly, the race didn’t go as deliberate. I crashed early within the course, however issues occur! Whereas I’m dissatisfied that I didn’t end my first World Cup, I used to be nonetheless capable of take one thing away from this expertise.
I discovered that though there are extra cameras, followers, and banners than every other ski race, the World Cup isn’t as international as we make it out to be. I additionally discovered the significance of treating it like every other race.
I used to be impressed and motivated much more to grow to be a World Cup skier after getting a small style of what it’s like. My World Cup debut in Levi made me excited to race extra World Cups this season, however extra importantly, it left me with a newfound motivation to coach tougher. This primary style didn’t simply encourage me—it made me hungrier than ever to earn my place within the World Cup.
Trying Forward
Along with her debut in Levi, Annika additionally raced the slaloms in Gurgl and the Copper Cup, gaining helpful expertise with each alternative on the circuit. We look ahead to following her progress all through the season and watching her proceed to develop on the World Cup stage.
