In September 2014, I made the decision to focus my attention on learning how to Alpine Ski Race. Coming from a background of all-mountain skiing and a skill set that promoted skiing in difficult terrain, Alpine Ski Racing came as a shock to the system. Skiing out of Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine, I honed the basics alongside Doug Williams, Chip Cochrane and Sean Chantillard, top quality coaches that helped me to get up to speed quickly and effectively. With firm goals in mind for qualification and competence in the sport, I set about entering races and seeing how my performance stacked up against my goals. After a stutter at the start of the season, I found myself finishing 40 points from my intended goal (roughly 10 points per second faster), which set me up well for the coming season where I would hopefully race more and qualify for the ultimate goal of the Winter Olympic Games in 2018.
Raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, I had often idolized the successful sportsmen and women of our small, but proud nation. Though the gold medal in the Olympic Games remains an elusive prize for Malaysia (and I don't believe Alpine Skiing is our best bet at getting it, though it would certainly be special), I hope that by expanding our horizons on the world stage of sport we will become more competitive across the board. It is my sincere hope that our struggle and journey will ignite a desire amongst the youth today to be better, in sports and in their lives.
Currently, I'm preparing for the 2015/16 Winter Season, at the University of Colorado in Boulder. The facilities and proximity to some of the best mountains and resorts in the world mean that CU Boulder is the perfect platform on which to launch our Olympic bid. Come late November, I'll be reigniting the on-snow drive to do better, preparing for races come early next year and hopefully reaching or getting closer to our target of 140 FIS points, the Olympic Qualification level. I hope that you, the reader, will join me on this journey of celebration for Malaysian Sport.
-Othman Mirzan
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