Why I decided to become a Super G and Downhill Racer

What does Jamaica slalom and GS Alpine Ski racer Michael Williams, have in common with former World Cup Circuit and Olympic Downhill racer, and my ambassador :-)) Phillipe Roux. Answer, they both posses in abundance an ability that is missing in so many people today, an ability which I hope provides an answer to a question that will be asked later this year when I race in South America to get my FIS points to race the World Cup circuit doing Super G and Downhill from October 2015, having picked skis up for the first time on August 15th 2014* What is that ability?.......is it a superior level of intellect, courageousness, the ability to dispel with fear the moment fear creeps in.

Whilst many of the options can be associated to a racer, it isn't these that unites these two legends in there own way (phillipe roux took on 'franz klammer', and Michael Williams skied for Jamaica in beaver creek vale February 2015 having skied for the first time 2.5 years earlier). 

The answer, is that they didn't and don't exist to please others primarily, they did in the case of Phillipe Roux, and do, in the case of Michael Williams what they did and do, because its where they felt most alive, and it is this little known pearl of wisdom, to be able to say #dowhatyoulove, #followyourpassion, which is the reason why i decided to become a Super G and Downhill Racer. What better way to #getyourrocksoff everyday :-) Super G + Downhill = Dopemine + adrenalin

The links below are for two videos. One, sent to me by a person who backed me financially and emotionally 6 months ago having not known much of me, other than I wanted to race and compete at the highest level in Alpine Super G and Downhill racing. This first video is to remind others not to give up on there dreams. If this Video doesn't make you think about doing something that you love, then nothing will, and the other, well that's a case of shameless self promotion as I have to pay the bills, so hoping to be the worlds first Super G and Downhill racer for the Jamaican ski team and help leave a legacy for its champion over these 2.5 years, the awesome Michael Williams, well hopefully doing as well as I hope too will mean I can pay the bills. Until then, thanks to my backers and sponsors and supporters who have included Ski Bartlett in the UK, Atomic and the legend that is Phillipe Roux, and of course, the current Rasta rocket himself and legend for following his dreams, Jamaica's only Slalom and GS (till I came along) ski team member, Michael Williams. Look him up on facebook peeps. for real, he has been there all along.

1: Whats your Passion
http://youtu.be/LRGasmWGUlc

2: The soon to be new face of the Jamaican ski team...I hope and so long as my South american race and training endeavours this summer work out :-)
http://youtu.be/_xmR4sICKok

#beinspired #fuckit, #dowhatyoulove, #followyourpassion #bankski

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Tomorrow is my first race front running the Phillipe roux competition in Verbier Switzerland, its not much, and we all gotta start somewhere, but I know it will give me the dopemine I am looking for :-)

Thanks for reading and supporting
#bankski

WOW its mid Jan 2015 already. WTF :-)

Relaxing lunch break, doesn't get any more chilled really!

2015 already....WOW
Firstly, a huge thanks to @atomic and @Intersport Phillipe Roux in Verbier for my Christmas present, a pair of Brand New FIS approved 210 cm Super G Skis. Even bigger thanks to my 'Food Supplier' / Restaurant owner Offshore in Verbier, if it wasn't for him supplying me with 4,000 + calories per day (thats right, 4,000 +) in between training sessions, I would never have been able to acquire 5 kilograms of muscle mass in these last weeks, and my Super G skis for sure would have thrown me to the wolves at 70 mph plus on the bends :-)

Secondly, a massive apology for the silence over the past 8 weeks, given all those who helped me get my super g and downhill career off the ground in 2014. Its been a painful couple of months with multiple broken ribs, damaged metacarpals, busted ACL's, sprains, cuts, bruises, wipe outs, crashes, budget issues, training facility issues, housing problems, sponsor problems, social life problems such as having one when you cant (apres ski at Hotel W verbier is hard to resist, as is the legendary night of a thousand shots @tcs_bar in Tignes, France), you name it, I have seen it, all within 5 months. Foolishly, I didn't factor in that in as much as somebody would want to race professionally within 1 year, that same year would include all the problems that could be encountered in race training.

Thirdly, a massive thank you to the 'Away Spa' @WVerbier, (obviously in Verbier) who have provided me with gym training facilities and allowed me to build a Super G and Downhill body during a mad Christmas and New Year period :-) as well as injure myself every week initially whilst learning to find my feet balancing on a FIS ball whilst juggling to weight balls at the same time, serious, its hardcore, search 'Bankski' in Youtube from Jan 14th to see the Swiss ball juggling ski monkey aka me :-)

And lastly, to all those haters I have met along this journey over these 5 months, who fervently, believed and believe, that its impossible for someone skiing less than half a year, to get themselves into a position of competing on the international circuit in Super g and downhill, well, I would like to say go suck, but instead, because that's wrong, all I will say, is 8 to 12 hour days for 5 to 7 days per week, for months and months and months and months and months (5 in total) even skiing with 2 week old broken ribs, is bound to do something :-) As the tourist skier says, I got me over 100 days ski baby, so, its onnnnnnnnn :-)

So the final chapter has arrived in the prep journey, some admin stuff to sort out my race license occupies me the next few weeks, (alongside the normal skiing from 8am till 4pm and gym from 6am to 8am and 5pm to 8pm daily) in time for Feb races and 3 months left in Europe before moving South of the Equator, but all in all, part one of the journey is complete! To all, Happy New Year, or as we like to say in the French speaking part of Switzerland, Bonne Annee!

One last thing, Sally and Terry from the UK company @Skibartlett rule :-) without the help of the Brits this could never have happened! I feel so conflicted, the Swiss rock, Jamaicans are the best and the Brits rule too :-)