Hello Everyone!
I’ve just returned from a 3 week camp in Zermatt, Switzerland, as you may already know. If you haven’t read it just yet, CLICK HERE for a quick write-up on the camp from the US Team! Though our team’s press officer already did a great job recapping the camp as a whole, I wanted to offer a bit of my own perspective!
To start things off, I just want to say that Zermatt is my absolute favorite place I’ve trained over the years — and one of my favorite places to travel to, as well. The little village tucked away in the Alps has a surreal magic to it; the alluring atmosphere encapsulates the character of not only Zermatt, but Switzerland as I’ve experienced it. At every turn, the views are absolutely breathtaking!
Training at the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise
As for my actual training up on the glacier, the camp as a whole was phenomenal!! This was the first full course I’ve skied since US Nationals back in March (the 5.5 month gap has been the longest I’ve gone without doing so in at least a few years), so I was ecstatic to get back into the bumps and to training my competition run on a consistent basis!!
The Mogul Course on the Glacier
Over the course of the entire camp, my biggest goal was to consistently train several run packages (i.e. with various sets of tricks) to the best of my ability with the end goal of figuring out which was both the best and most consistent.
Because this summer’s training was largely focused on jumping, I was able to add in several new tricks to my repertoire, allowing me to pick and choose from several options to create my best competition run, which I’m absolutely psyched about! The new tricks that I ended up integrating into my run were primarily my cork 7, as well as cork 10 and cork 7 tail, though I completed less repetitions that included the latter two tricks throughout the camp. Here are a few of my favorite runs from the past 3 weeks:
Furthermore, because I hadn’t skied a full course since March, this 3 week camp provided a huge opportunity to hone in on my skiing technique in addition to putting together my competition run as a whole. I’m also quite excited to say that I’m pleased with where I’m at technically, though there are a few more improvements I’d like to make going into the final on-snow camp of the preparation season. For me, the biggest reason as to why I’ve improved quite a bit in the bumps is because of my overall strength — which has increased monumentally over the course of this summer. Needless to say, I’m beyond psyched with where I’m at mentally, physically and emotionally as I go into the final on-snow camp of the preparation season in Kaprun, Austria!!
Beyond the Bumps
Outside of training, my teammates and I made the most of our beautiful surroundings by getting creative with activities we participated in around town; everything from exploring around the village on scooters, to hiking up mountains for lunch, to working out in the gym, to playing soccer at the local field was fair game.
During a few of my off-days, too, I was fortunate enough to be able to spend time with my parents, who traveled to Switzerland for the first time for their 20th anniversary!! Having them with me towards the end of a long camp was the perfect reminder of home; I truly enjoyed showing them around one of my favorite places in the world!!! We visited some of my preferred lunch spots and hiking trails, making for an eventful and relaxing few days of quality time spent together (:
New Sponsor – Giro!
And on a final note, this was my first on-snow camp ever where I proudly donned Giro gear as a part of my new partnership with the helmet and goggle brand!! From the first moment I put on my helmet and goggles, I was absolutely sold — I love both the functionality and the look of my setup this year! I couldn’t ask for anything better!!
GIRO – Ledge Mips Helmet / Ella Goggle
I was a fan of Giro even at 11! 😂
The next steps for my teammates and I will be to take some time off and get back to crushing it in the gym before heading back to Europe for one final camp in Kaprun, Austria, where we’ll have the opportunity to get back into the gate before the World Cup season opener in Ruka in December!!!
Thank you all for following along and I hope you are having a fantastic fall (:
All the best,
Olivia !
