Hey Everyone! For those of you that follow me, you're probably wondering why I haven't posted anything on Switzerland. Well as it turns out, there isn't much exciting to report. As it turns out, athletes have their set backs, and right now I am struggling to keep my head in the game, so to speak. The first few days of Switzerland were very fun. While exploring the mountains, we found some powder and enjoyed the bluebird days. Although, I never seemed to be feeling at my best, and this effected me when it came time to race. I have been struggling with being under the weather (a week before I left for Europe I had an 103 degree temperature!), and it was catching up to me. Along with that, I couldn’t bring myself to focus on the race ahead of me. As a competitive athlete at this level, there are a lot of challenges that I must face and overcome. At the time being, the head games that I seem to be playing with myself are tying me down. I did not race in Switzerland, yet I do not regret my decision. On the first day of racing, there were crashes in 20 out of the 24 men’s heats, leaving a couple top athletes out for the season. The course was not wide enough to safely accommodate the six-man heat races. Overall, in Switzerland I realized where I stand right now in my snowboarding career and what I need to work on.
With that being said, I will not be competing in the X Games. I am going to take this year off and possibly make my debut another year. Just being invited as an alternate is a very big accomplishment for me. I am bummed I will not be a part of all of the excitement, but it will be best for me to take this time to recover and rest. Check back in a little while for updates on my plans. Thanks for all of the support!
From left: Lindsey Jacobellis, Carrie Uren, Faye Gulini, Callan Chythlook Sifsof, and Chloe Banning at Veysonnaz, Switzerland.
Well done, Chloe. You have had a great career so far, with good results and wonderful opportunities, and you are a proven athlete already.
ReplyDeleteAnd what a fantastic attitude! You can't "win" that - you either have it or you don't. That will serve you well in anything you do. More racing to come, or on to bigger adventures.
I think that most people do not realize how much work and strain a racing career is; how much is sacrificed to maintain it.
X Games Alternate is an extraordinary accomplishment in itself and doesn't just fall into your lap. You had to DO something to get it.
Wonderful photo! It's lovely. I've yet to see a nice photos of you ladies all together. With your permission, we'll post it on Callan's blog.
Our best to your mom.
Hi Glo!
DeleteThank you very much for your support. I'm excited that you are following my blog! Of course you can post the photo on Callan's blog, I actually got it from Lindsey off facebook.
Cheers!
Chloe