In this Episode of the American Downhiller Podcast, Lew, AJ, Daron and Marco are joined by Bella Wright whose rollercoaster 21-22 season included the high of the Olympics and the low of a fractured heel, but finished with her first National Downhill Championship win!

Bella breaks down her winning run on the storied Narrow Gauge run in Sugarloaf and what it meant to her. Then the boys also share the stories of their first National Championship wins and how important those races actually are, despite being “only” the Nationals and not World Cups.

Bella then talks about growing up at Snowbird and how important and motivating it was to travel to Beaver Creek and Aspen each year as a junior racer and see the World Cup superstars in person. Her big dreams were fueled by seeing and feeling the excitement and craziness of the White Circus. This rang true for all of the Downhillers as each shared their first glimpse of their heroes.

The group then talks about what makes a great coach and all of them were on the same page - being a motivator is KEY to inspiring young athletes to push their limits through good times and bad times. They then all talk about how important patience is to athletes, even though none enjoyed the inevitable waiting game of getting to the top and realizing their dreams.

Finally, Doug asks Bella the two things that she will be working on this Summer to take her from a career best 10th on World Cup to the Podium. One will be a technical focus on her core and how that will keep her body aligned and strong. And mentally, she will be focused on trusting her training and hard work, instead of the minutiae of line or times or results.

This episode is perfect for the Ski Racing Fan, the up and coming racer, as well as for all the junior coaches out there who want to hear from an athlete who has risen to the top through great coaching!

To contact us, email Doug at [email protected]

Thanks for listening!