Anja Paerson: most decorated alpine skier on the World Cup circuit
Born born 25 April 1981, in Umea, Sweden, Anja Paerson is the most decorated active alpine skier. Ahead of the Vancouver Olympics, she is a favorite for gold in the combined event.
She is the winner of seven World Championships gold medals and two overall alpine skiing World Cup titles. She is also the reigning Olympic champion in slalom, after her gold at the 2006 Turin Olympics. She has won a total of 41 World cup races.
You'd think that Anja, as one of the best women skiers of all times, has no fears and is so keenly aware of her ability that she starts each race without doubts shadowing her focus.
But in recent years Anja says she has become afraid of not succeeding. Her early, youthful love of skiing has been replaced by a keen professionalism which wants to win races, which is becoming harder as she struggles with motivation and the new generation of skiers such as Lindsey Vonn of the United States.
Following two poor seasons from 2006 to 2008, Paerson admits open-heartedly, Sometimes I think I am not good enough. I know that I do not need to think that way. I have won everything there is to win.
She continues, Once in a while I wake up and my self-confidence is back and I think the skiing is going to be fun. Then I'm on the slope and am flooded with negative thoughts
Anja, is it true you plan to retire after this year?
Well, my goal is set for trying to stop after this year. I've been on the tour for a long time, and I think most of the goals that I set for myself, I've achieved. After this Olympics, it's going to be hard to get myself motivated. At the 2009 World Championships, I felt I'd had my biggest World Championships in Are 2007, and I didn't really have the motivation, so I don't know if I'm going to have anything to prove for myself coming into 2011 and the World Championships at Garmisch, Germany. But I'm not going to give a final answer that I'm going to quit.
What is most fun about skiing?
Anja Paerson, most decorated alpine skier on the World Cup circuit
What I think has always been the most fun part of skiing is when you feel total freedom, when you have a run in perfect snow, and you're pretty much alone. Even if I do this every day, I remind myself: I can come down the hill as a kid with the greatest joy, like receiving a candy bar or something. Then I want to take my next run as fast as possible. It just has to do with the freedom of it, with nature and that you're in control of your skis. It's a pretty unique feeling, I think. You're always a little bit scared, and that gives you a thrill.
Do you get the same enjoyment when you're not skiing alone?
When I ski with my friends, then I get to ski another way and I see their joy, and see how they love skiing in a different way. I think skiing is for everyone, just being in the mountains and having fun in nature. When I'm with kids, I try to remind them that it's not all about winning and being a celebrity. It's because you love it, and you want to do it every day. When I'm out with the kids, we just try to have fun, and I try to give them a little of my childhood, what it was all about, that I was just outside skiing.
What is it you try to do to be better than your rivals, the new generation of skiers like Lindsey Vonn ?
Anja Paerson, Sweden favorite for the combined gold
Last season, I struggled a little bit with a materials change. And with the change of material, the International Ski Federation changed our slopes, making them much icier. I didn't have time to test a lot of skis on the icier slopes, so during the season itself, I tried finding better materials. When you do that, and you're not in good shape, you're left a little bit behind. With those mistakes I made, it's amazing I finished top-three. This season, I feel really positive. If I take a few podiums instead of trying to win every one, then I'll be very dangerous at the Olympics.
Among all of your achievements, how high do you rank your gold medal in slalom from Torino in 2006?
It was very special, the gold medal in Torino. In the warm-up, I twisted my knee really badly, and I had a lot of pain coming into that slalom. Somehow, I think my injury made me win the race, because I had something else to focus on. The pressure on me was really huge. I was one of those girls who came in on the Swedish team and was going to take all those medals and bring something home for Sweden. My last two races were up, and I didn't have a gold medal. I was very nervous going in, but somehow I pushed myself. I was really, really happy, but in some way, with those pressures and everything that was happening around me, I was very relieved when I saw my time and realized I won the gold medal. Somehow, the Olympics are so difficult to manage. Every one -- I've been in two now -- it's just something extra. It's always hard to keep your emotions steady and do something really good. Torino was very tough but, looking back, I'm really proud of the way I battled and took the gold medal.
Where do you keep your medals?
I keep all my victories in Taernaby, Sweden at my mom and dad's house. I just feel that all of my medals should go back to Taernaby. I know they're trying to build a museum, so hopefully one day, everyone can come in and see what I achieved in my career. But at the moment I think they're in a box somewhere.
Thanks to NBC Olympic coverage.
By Ben Foster
Readers respond
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How fast can you run a mile at 50?
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