Kozzie's Korner: Winning trumps friendships

Kozzie’s Korner: Winning trumps friendshipsNext week at this time, the 2005-06 World Cup season will have begun. The glaciers of Austria will be full of men and women’s teams from every nation. It is a big reunion of sorts. You hear the same question being asked all over the mountain, ‘How was your summer?’ Everyone is trying to train, and at the same time trying to catch up with some of the other athletes who have become friends over the years.

The bond from athlete to athlete is a strange one. There is friendship and respect and at the same time there is competition. Because we are all here to win, and if that means beating all of your friends to get there, then that is what it takes. It makes for some interesting dynamic. I think most athletes make many friends, but only a few close ones. It can be risky to open yourself up to some of your competitors. I know that may sound harsh, but at the end of the day it is every man for himself and you would be surprised at some of the games people play.

At the World Cup level, the physical aspect of skiing is the smallest part of the equation and the mental part is the largest. I believe that any champion from any sport will tell you the same thing. Everyone trains just as hard and has been blessed with similar athletic ability, but the edge comes from your head. If you truly believe, heart and soul, that you are the best in the world, there won’t be much to stop you. Like Muhammad Ali once said, ‘To be a great champion, you must believe you are the best. If you are not, pretend you are.’ That is a lot tougher than it sounds.

I used to think that meant I had to be arrogant to be successful, but through the years I have learned that the arrogant and egotistical are the least confident people I know and their successes aren’t worth much. But the people I know who believe in themselves for who they are and nothing more, they are the ones whose successes light up their lives.

At the age of 18, I almost walked away from the sport of ski racing. I thought, ‘If I have to be a self-centered, arrogant person to be the best in the world, I don’t think I can do it.’ But I opened my eyes and saw other ski racers who were not only successful, but also great people, and from that point on, I have yet to turn back. I can only hope that through my career I have helped show someone else the way as well.

Along with old friends reuniting, the training intensity has also increased. There have been many teams having time trials and with that the temperature rises. It is a great atmosphere and seems to wake the butterflies in my stomach. This week will be a mix of nerves and excitement running through my veins. It makes me feel alive – and a little sick at times! The nerves will be building all week, but that is the beauty of it, because next Saturday, when I leave the start gate, they will all flood away from my body and be replaced by the rush of ski racing.

Contact Kristina Koznick at TeamKoznick@aol.com.