World Cups and Olympic medals are won and lost by hundredths of a second by skiers hurling themselves down ice covered mountains with only a thin metal edge to control decent.

These feats of speed, athleticism and precision breed competition, a healthy dose of fear, and awe for all of us who watch and have dreamt of standing atop the winner's podium. Beijing 2022 is here...and it's time to kick off The Jedburgh Podcast tribute to the Winter Olympics.

Steven Nyman, is an American legend in downhill Olympic and World Cup skiing. He has reached 11 podiums, earned three World Cup titles, and did something no other American downhiller has ever done—reaching the podium four times in a row in the run up to the 2018 Olympics. He has been on the US Ski Team for over two decades.

Steven joined host Fran Racioppi from the World Cup circuit in Switzerland to discuss the importance of preparation, the fear of failure, the courage to act, the grit needed to recover from devastating injuries and the drive to win after 20 years of competition.

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website.

Highlights:

-Steven talks about his longevity in the sport, the perspective he has gained as he has matured on the circuit, and what it would take to continue competing at the Olympic level as he turns 40.

-Fran breaks skiing down into three component parts: physical, technical, and mental capability. 

-Steven explains how training under fatigue sets him apart from the competition, as pushing the body for peak performance in the last 30 seconds is essential to winning. 

-The technology in skiing has rapidly advanced over the last 20 years; Steven talks about his battles with skiing equipment and how he has had to adapt equipment made for smaller athletes to work at his size.

-A skier’s mental preparation must be constant throughout the year; something Steven explains takes discipline and a focused approach to each movement and each run. 

-Steven talks about early days in skiing, how his brothers pushed him to compete and how chasing the BYU ski team growing up instilled in him a sense of grit and fierce determination.

Quotes:

-”I’ve shown a lot of speed, but I have made a lot of mistakes. If I can refine some of those mistakes I can be right in there with the big boys.” 

-”If you can focus when you are pushed against a wall, that’s when you are going to set yourself apart.”

-“Crashes are brutal. If you can take a hit and get back up, that is going to allow you to race more and more.”

-”There’s not a lot of controllable things outside of your equipment.”

-”There is not a lot of thought. There’s a feeling and there’s a drive.”

-”It was just step by step goals…and I reached for it and pushed for it every single year.”

-”That grit. That desire to compete. That desire to win is what drives me.”

-"If I commit to that and hammer through it with intention and drive, instead of a little hesitation, I'm going to come out way faster."

-“Active and drive. Those are my two words.”  

Steven’s Three Daily Foundations to Success:

-Set deliberate goals

-Step away, honestly critique and assess yourself

-Ask myself if I still love what I am doing - then go do it!

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, 18A Fitness and Analytix Solutions.