I recently had the good fortune to attend the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping and FEI World Cup Dressage Finals in Paris – which was RIGHT up my street! My formative years were spent living on a farm in the rural south of Sweden, and as a young child (then into my teens) I was a so-called ‘stable girl’, as my friends and I would spend all of our free time in the stables, combing the horses hair, cleaning their boxes and of course riding freely across the rolling fields. My walls were plastered with pictures of ponies – alongside the occasional Mariah Carey and kitten poster. Back in Paris, the FEI World Cup event is the pinnacle of equestrian competitions, their ‘Wimbledon’ or ‘America’s Cup’ equivalent if you like, so it was a real honor to have been invited the 10-year-old girl in me was overjoyed; watching the most decorated equestrian athlete of all time, Isabell Werth, dispatch a masterclass was a thing of beauty! This post is a behind-the-scenes account of the weekend, along with interviews with three riders, who reveal just how much of a physically and mentally demanding discipline this is. Click MORE to take a look at the fitness angle of world-class Horse Riding…
Posts tagged 'World Cup'
INTERVIEW W/ TOP SKI ATHLETE, MATTS OLSSON!
Last month, I was incredibly fortunate to meet some of my country’s top Alpine athletes at the HQ of Ski Team Sweden in Åre. Amongst them, I spent some time with Matts Olsson, a World Championship medalist and one of the top male FIS World Cup competitors from Sweden, with a specialization in Giant Slalom. He’s an ultra-experienced hand on the circuit, powering through 9 seasons, and has just had one of his best in 2016/17 with two podium finishes. It struck me that the younger members of the team really look up to those who’ve given battle alongside the international legends of the sport, and Matts wears his experience with great wisdom and humility. It was with great pleasure that I sat down to ask him about his training, his mental approach, his diet, and his ethos on competition! Here’s what I learned… (more…)
TRAINING WITH SKI TEAM SWEDEN!
Just a few weeks back, I had the epic behind-the-scenes experience of training alongside some world-class, hardcore athletes; it was an honor to be invited to the pre-season launch session with my home country’s championship Ski Team. This event has only ever taken place behind closed doors in the past, so I bring you this post with enormous excitement! On the day, I was asked to talk a little about social media and share my findings on what has worked and not worked when writing this blog; it was also a chance for me to get to know this inspirational family of athletes and coaches, see how they work together as a team, to meet the coaches and to participate in a totally punishing kick-off workout! Click MORE to see what we got up to during the games!