My 3-Year SLVSH Story
[wpvideo Ep9mIdEv]I almost can’t believe it’s been 3 years since I face-punched the ground and practically popped my head off in Colorado. December 16th, 2016 marked my three year anniversary since breaking my neck. I always choose to celebrate my accident and the day that life as I knew it changed forever. Some people might think it’s strange to “celebrate” such a thing. It’s a tough day every year because it brings up some pretty difficult memories, but all-in-all, it’s worth celebrating. I’ve come a long way in recovery, and a lot has changed that’s for sure! I feel especially grateful on Dec 16th every year. Enjoy the Article below…
The SLVSH Story 12.16.2016
I still miss freestyle skiing like it happened yesterday. Skiing is incredible, but like any passion, it’s a double-edged sword. Those that make you feel on top of the world are equally capable of cutting you down. By remembering the good times, it helps put any loss in perspective. Find gratitude for those good times and try not to fixate on the loss. I miss doing this but god damn am I grateful I had it in my life! Onto the next adventure!I want to give a huge shoutout and thank you to @theslvsh for putting together a story on my anniversary day. Jason Mousseau spent time with me during a thought-provoking interview. His questions were focused on risk in the skiing, the direction of the competition scene, The Healing Agent, and where I’m at these days if I’m not on the mountain.
What are you up to these days? How are you remaining involved with freeskiing? I moved to Calgary this year to start a business called SafeStart Athletics. After my crash I realized that it wasn’t the difficulty of the trick I was trying that caused me to crash. I’d done plenty of 720’s. The problem was that I wasn’t in the right physical or mental states to perform.There are other factors that play into ‘Risk’ above and beyond the difficulty of the trick, the conditions or the choice of jump. Staying focused in the moment is the most important. We train athletes on how to recognize harmful states like rushing, frustration, fatigue and complacency so that they can stay in the zone. It’s about injury prevention, increasing awareness and focus, and improving performance.We’ve worked with Canada’s national slopestyle team and a bunch of other ski clubs and provincial teams across the country. Anyone can hit me up if they’re interested to train their teams. I love working with skiers!Beyond that, I’m trying to stay actively involved in the contest side of things. I am judging a few Canadian Open Tour contests and doing some some announcing this season. Skiing has given so much to me so I’m stoked to give back!Is there one piece of advice that you could leave with athletes constantly pushing themselves? For any skier, I suggest getting in the habit of checking in mentally, EVERY TIME, before you drop in. It doesn’t matter if it’s a trick you’ve done a thousand times, make sure you’re in the moment.Skiing rules because when you’re our on the mountain, there’s nothing else you’d rather be doing or thinking about. But everyone gets distracted sometimes, so make sure you’re checking in before dropping in!
Thanks to Jason Mousseau, Matt Walker, all the #SLVSH fans, and everyone who’s supported me over the last few years. Check the link below for the full story! 🙏#2012skiingthrowback #goodtimes#goodmemories #gratefuleverydayREAD THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE! Thanks, SLVSH!