Thomas J Salzano: Challenges Faced as First Time Skier

Starting with something new is always challenging, where you need to test your limit and work on it, says Thomas  Salzano, a professional skier. Pursuing a career in sports is a little challenging as you need to manage your studies as well as your sports career at the same time.

Whereas for an aspiring skier there are a lot of challenges they need to face to reach the final level of professionalism. Let’s discuss some of the common challenges faces as an aspiring skier shared by Thomas J Salzano:

Thomas Salzano - Telemarking
  • Time Related Challenges

If you are a young aspiring skier, you will definitely face the time challenge, to manage your training and studies at the same time. Those who fail the challenge of time management generally quit sports to achieve balance in life. Time management is more challenging for skiers as they can not have their training in one place. They need to travel and explore the snow-filled mountains. That sometimes requires an off from studies and regular college/school.

  • Money Constraints

Another challenging factor is money, as both the training as well as the equipment are costly. It is not always about being privileged, but at times the young skier is not sure of his/her capability. Which restricts him/her to convenience and investment in training and equipment.

Whereas for other money does come in the way of passion, which can be supported by scholarship and other training schemes introduced to support the young dreams.

  • The Fear of Mountains

You may be a professional skier, but there comes a situation when you are not so comfortable with the mountains. The initial fear as a first-time skier is understood, but at times serious injuries also develop a fear in a skier’s mind that is a challenge for him/her to overcome and get back in the game.

Overcoming your fear is possible if you get constant support and training both mentally and physically to get back the strength and confidence to get started again.

Thomas Salzano - Downhill
  • Fitness Challenge

As an aspiring young skier, you at times need to take a break from your game, just to catch up with studies and other important things. The challenge here is to work on your fitness as regular training to keep your muscles strong is necessary.

A break from training and your regular practice can make you feel less confident and confused getting back in the game. The challenge to fitness is considered a bit difficult to overcome, as for young skiers skipping the rules is common, until and unless they are fully passionate about skiing.

  • Challenge to Overcome Criticism

Negative reviews and criticism are not easy for a young mind to accept and overcome. If proper assistance is not provided the young skier can feel demotivated which is not a good sign. Criticism is generally related to pursuing a career as a skier, as for some it’s a dangerous sport. Whereas we should not forget the fact that preference-related criticism also affects the young skier’s mind.

To overcome this challenge you need a mentor who can understand you and provide the right guidance. For you, your best mentor can be your trainer, as it’s a part of their job to interact with you and make you a better sportsperson, mentally and physically.

  • Challenge to Accept the Reality

As a young skier, it becomes difficult for you to accept the reality that skiing is not what you want, or accept the defeat in the game. This is a common but challenging part, as deciding to pursue a career in skiing needs a lot of clarity especially when you are a student.

You should not fear what people will think if you quit the game, as you are not interested anymore, or something else excites you more than skiing.

When you are young, you need to explore your limits, if you think it’s not your game, it’s okay to quit, instead of being stressed and sad.

Thomas Salzano - Heli-Skiing or Cat-skiing

As a young aspiring skier, you will get hundreds of opportunities to explore and showcase your talent. It’s you who need to decide and work on your short-coming to overcome the challenges in life as well as in your career as a skier. The real struggle starts from the time of selection but not losing hope is the key to success, which is what Thomas J Salzano feels. So keep exploring and keep challenging yourself to become better to the best skier.