Alpine Skiing News – Ester Ledecka: Choosing between skis and snowboards? I would just retire then!

Behind just about every great athlete is a strong support network. Whether it’s family, partner, friends, coaches, or a mix of all four, most great athletes need the right group around them to help them achieve their goals.

And Ester Ledecka is no different.

The Czech skier-snowboarder, who continues to mystify with how she is able to compete on two completely different pieces of equipment, spoke about how her family is supporting her during the Atomic Virtual Media Day. And it’s a pretty fascinating and eclectic group of individuals.

There is her father, Janek, who is a certified rockstar in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, her mother Zuzana, is a former figure skater. Her grandfather, Jan Klapac, won two Olympic medals representing Czechoslovakia in ice hockey and won gold at the world championships in Prague in 1972. Her brother Jonas, to whom she credits initiation to skiing and skiing. snowboarding, is a well-known comic. book artist.

“So with my family it’s pretty easy,” Ledecka says when asked about all types of people in the family setting.

“We have always supported each other. And although part of the family is more artists with my father and my brother, on the other hand, my grandfather is the famous hockey player.

“Because each of us has our dreams. And we support each other and, and it works because we love what we’re doing.

But would it happen if she had to choose one or the other?

“If I had to choose to be on board or on skis?” Ledecka said almost incredulously.

“As does not make sense [to only do one]. No I do not know. This is a difficult question. I get it so often, I still don’t know the answer, I should, you know, find the answer, because everybody asks it all the time. But I do not know.

During the interview, Ledecka explains that she tends to train in blocks, rather than trying to ski and snowboard on the same day.

“Usually I have boulders because it’s a little easier to learn a little on skis for example than if I jump from one to the other every day.

“Then it would be harder for me to always change myself and everything like that, so I do weekly blocks, blocks of two weeks maximum.

“I also don’t want to do the blocks for too long so I don’t forget too much about each of the sports so I have to balance that but I think that me and my team, my coaches [manage It].

“I have a great team, which helps me get through it and set a great schedule that is working right now. “

Ledecka, who said this year in an Olympic season it would be nice not to have to pick events due to travel disputes, occasionally had a back injury last season and it impacted his competition .

However, she consulted with one of her sponsors, Red Bull, during the offseason and the team there came up with a program that would help her strengthen her back, as well as manage it during the season. Ledecka added that she is feeling great and had a good preseason.

“I know I scare a lot of things like doing interviews and like those cameras out there, these strangers.”

While Ledecka can be uncomfortable with her fame and the attention that goes with it at times, she looks very happy with Goggia, a more naturally more outgoing individual. Their heartfelt friendship is a warm reminder of the best part of the sport, two people from different countries with very different backgrounds brought together by the love of one thing.

Although, as Goggia said, they share the fact that neither parent had an interest in skiing before they started. Goggia’s father is an engineer and his mother is now CEO and has a background in communication.

And when Ledecka is asked how she’s able to keep her feet on the ground, she tells a heartwarming story about an interaction with Italian media.

“Well, it was actually quite funny because I was doing an interview for the Italian press.

“And they said the two of us [gesturing to Goggia], they take us like sisters.

“Because everyone in Italy is cheering you on, you know. But if they need to choose someone else from other countries, it’s me, so I’m so happy.

“Because that was the biggest compliment I could get, you know”

Ledecka remains two things. Grounded television and must see. Never miss this remarkable athlete in action this season.