Have you read Michael Janyk’s book yet? The Whistler racer and BC Alpine alumnus, poured his heart and soul into these pages, and the response has been unanimously positive. Mike covers a lot of ground in this book, which starts and ends in Whistler. Below are some of the reactions to the book by some of his former teammates, other athletes and sports professionals.
Reading Mike’s book “Go to the Start” is like taking a roller coaster ride of the highs and lows of a life lived chasing the dream. Mike was able to capture the “behind the scenes” of being a World Cup Ski racer. The book left me feeling proud of what we accomplished as a team of athletes, coaches and support staff! Any aspiring Olympian will be well served reading Mike’s book to learn what’s in store for them if they choose to chase the dream!
Thomas Grandi, Olympian, 2x World Cup winner
“‘Dad, I’ve never seen you read a book so quickly‘ my kids said to me after I read Mike’s book. I couldn’t put it down. The stories, the race scene and the historic venues seemed all too familiar. I felt like I was racing alongside Janyk and the Canadian slalom team. I thoroughly enjoyed Mike’s book and his journey as a ski racer. Chasing the snow and traveling the world was a gift his whole family enjoyed. Congratulations on an outstanding career.”
Brian Stemmle, CBC broadcaster, 4x Olympian
“I am so grateful for this book! Mike embarks us on his incredible journey from a young aspiring athlete to the highest level of the sport – highlighting the highs and lows that come with it all. As a retired World Cup athlete, I have lived the same emotions that he had but I honestly thought that I was alone with them. This book helped me feel even better about my athletic career. It is more about the journey and not the results that we should thrive for. I hope that all the young athlete of any sports get the chance to read this book as it highlights the importance of perseverance. This book will fuel your fire and show you how to keep it burning. Thank you Mike for sharing your amazing journey.”
Louis-Pierre Hélie, Canadian alpine & ski cross team, Olympian, coach
“Through his struggles and joys, and all the places and spaces in between, I witnessed someone learn who they are, find peace with who that person is and ultimately embrace changes and challenges in ways that allow for growth and development as a human being. This is why I love this book so much.”
Clara Hughes, 6x Olympic medalist, mental health advocate
“If you have ever strapped on skis and dreamed of racing your way to victory, you will find yourself somewhere on the pages of Mike Janyk’s odyssey through the sport – from the doubt and loathing, to the ecstasy of the near-perfect performance. The same holds for anyone pursuing individual sport where even the very best lose far more often than they win. So why? As Janyk would instruct himself throughout his decades of racing, just “go to the start” and find out. This is a wonderful tale of on one man’s many hard-earned answers over the years, filled with invaluable lessons for could-be champions as well as the many more participants. As it turns out, it’s not about the wins.”
Steve Porino, Broadcaster, NBC Sports
“Go to the Start is a captivating journey into the heart, mind, and body of a world-class ski racer. The challenges Mike Janyk faced (and overcame) and the lessons he learned can be valuable for anyone striving to be their best at anything.”
Jim Taylor, sport psychologist, former world-ranked ski racer
The annual BC Alpine “Goldies” took place last weekend in Sun Peaks, to a packed room of coaches, volunteers, officials, staff members, club executives … and a legend named Nancy Greene Raine who was on stage to present the awards to the most outstanding contributors to ski racing in the province last season at the impressive Sun Peaks Grand Hotel and Conference Centre.
“It was an incredible celebration of a great season,” said BC Alpine VP, Johnny Crichton, who announced the awards. The dinner and presentations capped a productive three-day Member Summit, which included coach meetings, general member meetings and the official BC Alpine AGM. All said, 26 BC Alpine clubs attended the sessions, with over 100 members attending.
The keynote presentation by Jack Crawford, the current world champion and Olympic medalist, was a highlight. Jack walked through his career to-date, including his time with the Whistler Mountain Ski Club, discussing topics that ranged from his personal focus on excellence, the value of teamwork and diversity in training. Other marquee speakers included Lene Puntervold and Claude Lebreux, who presented from Norway on the topic of Norwegian motor skills philosophies and their approach to training in various sports. It was an inspiring presentation which included interviews from Norwegian athletes and coaches, as well as U16 skiers in the impressive Olympic Training Centre in Oslo, as a coach walked them through a creative training program.
Below are the winners from all categories. Congratulations to all the winners!
(photo left to right – Alexa Brownlie, Mila Plavsic, Dillon Prophet (guest coach), Erin Husken, Jasmine Coubrough)
The BC Women’s Training Group are currently in El Colorado, Chile, hard at work in the midst of a productive on-snow training camp.
According to head coach Montana Molyneux, a group of four skiers – Alexa Brownlie, Mila Plavsic, Erin Husken & newest Training Group athlete Jasmine Coubrough, along with Coach Monty and guest coach Dillon Prophet (Smither’s Ski Club) – look to complete 20 days of quality training during the camp which concludes on September 25th.
To date, they have worked on technical freeskiing, panelled glalom, GS training and some mountain freeskiing. It’s the first time in Chile for all the skiers.
“We experienced a lot of different weather from sunshine and blue skies on our first day to snow storms, high winds, and low visibility,” said Coach Monty. “The athletes were super productive throughout all the weather, pushing hard to make changes in their skiing. They made everyday count, finding improvements each day and working hard to pattern strong skiing through the training sessions.”
“Each athlete has a strong individual focus on what they need to do but some of the things we have been working on throughout the camp are: stacking up to start the turn, Establishing a strong outside ski before rolling on, ankle/shin engagement through the top of turn, a strong roll on into the turn.”
In addition to the training, the team has had an up-close-and-personal perspective of several World Cup teams, such as the Norwegian women’s tech team, the Austrian men’s tech team, as well as the Canadian para-alpine team and others. Next up will be a GS and super-G block next week.
“Our athletes worked hard this summer through their fitness training and the coaches are seeing that the athletes are able to get a lot done on the hill each day because of it.”
Big shout out to Shayna Little, a returning Training Group athlete that is working hard at home, coming back from knee surgery. We are excited about the progress she’s made through the recovery process and are looking forward to when she can be back on snow with the team!
(above left to right) Coach Montana Molyneux and Jasmine CoubroughGS environment
The men’s BC Ski Team have been hard at work preparing for the upcoming season, both on and off snow. The team returned in early September from a successful on-snow training camp in Chile at El Colorado.
“We got the whole spectrum of weather while we were away,” said Morgan Pridy, men’s head coach. “It’s a stark reminder of our shifting climate and precarious nature of future summer training plans. Shallow snow still provided a workable surface for the group to train, despite the unsightly and rapidly spreading dirt patches across the mountain.”
The weather quickly turned – proving the much-used weather apps correct – with metres of snow blanketing the hill forcing the team to wait out the storm.
“A small silver lining, albeit only in hindsight, was the incredibly consistent wind howling through the resort,” Pridy said. “Metres of snow hugged the snow fences and other wrinkles on the face of the mountain, but the bulk of our options for training space needed only a couple of days before it was scraped down to a productive surface once again.”
The team was rewarded “with an awesome week to finish the camp”.
What’s next Coach Morgan?
Each guy on the team is working through their own process to build themselves up towards the competitive season. Right now we all still have a lot of work ahead of us in order to be ready, but we also have a lot of opportunities to improve between now and December.
Closest at hand is finishing Septembers off-snow training and then returning to South America for our second chance at on-snow preparation. This time in Corralco, one of Chile’s most southern resorts.
The race season get’s underway for the BCST men in November. See the race calendar for details.
Photos from BCST camp in El Colorado, Chile
“Winter” arrivalChile sunsetArrival daySascha Gilbert & Oliver YoungDylan StevensSnow wall after the stormGS courseEarly mornings
BC Alpine announced eight returning ski racers – and two new additions – to the BC Training Group, a major stepping stone towards BC Ski Team selection.
Four skiers met full qualification standards, while the others will be working over the preparation phase to be named to the BC Ski Team for the 2023-24 season (announcement in November). See the complete training roster below.
The Training Group, which represents five ski clubs across the province – Fernie Alpine Ski Team, Whistler Mountain Ski Club, Grouse-Tyee Ski Club, Big White Racers and the Vernon Ski Club – are now focussed on fitness and pre-season training.
“This time of year is all about building trust and connection between coach and athletes,” said BC Alpine VP Johnny Crichton. “Find the limits and work together to extend them. It’s all about communication and support through physical challenges to prep the team for the long, arduous season. We have a great crew of coaches and athletes who are fully dedicated to becoming champions!”
Women’s group building culture
The women’s training group is kicking off the offseason with a training camp in Fernie through July. “This is where the team comes together to push out of their comfort zone, solidify themselves as a team and build a strong culture as well as explore a new community in BC,” said women’s head coach Montana Molyneux.
Coach Monty is excited to build on the progress from last season. “The returning athletes from the training group have created an environment that fosters respect, focus, hard work and fun which will be exciting for our newest training group athlete Jasmine. Together this group can continue to challenge each other to grow as athletes and teammates.”
“They will be ready to push out of the start gate whether that be Nor-Ams or BC cups and have full confidence that they’ve done everything to find success!”
The women’s group have a significant fitness focus from June to August with the first on snow camp scheduled for September in Chile, followed by indoor training session in October in Germany and then pre-season prep in North America in November.
Men’s group building on foundation
The men’s team is centralized in Fernie for July, where they are “dedicating this time together to push as a team and form the base needed to thrive during on snow prep,” said men’s head coach Morgan Pridy. Pridy is full of optimism regarding the development of the team.
“It’s very exciting to have the core group of guys back for the new season,” he said. “They worked hard last year to build up a strong foundation and also discovered the demands of a full Nor-am schedule. The group is hungry and has set high expectations moving forward.”
According to Pridy, the addition of Baptiste Cais to the training group will be a great opportunity for him and also the team to push his teammates.
From August to mid-October the men’s group will be back and forth between South America and home, working through on-snow skills and continuing fitness progressions.
* Two skiers from last season’s provincial group will not be rejoining the BCST this season. Heming Sola, of Summerland and the Apex Ski Club, who dazzled last season with strong performances will continue ski racing and pursuing academics at Dartmouth. Tait Jordan, of North Van and the Whistler Mountain Ski Club is pursuing options for post secondary education while completing his rehab (ACL) and growing his entrepreneurial endeavours.
BC Ski Team (qualified)
Dylan Timm (2002) Fernie Alpine Ski Team (Fernie)
Sascha Gilbert (2004) Whistler Mountain Ski Club (Whistler)
Dylan Stevens (2004) Grouse Mountain Tyee Ski Club (North Vancouver)
Oliver Young (2004) Vernon Ski Club/Okanagan Ski Team (Coldstream)
BC Women’s Training Group
Mila Plavsic (2004) Grouse Mountain Tyee Ski Club (Vancouver)
Alexa Brownlie (2005) Whistler Mountain Ski Club (Whistler)
Erin Husken (2005) Whistler Mountain Ski Club (North Vancouver)
Shayna Little (2005) Big White Ski Club/Okanagan Ski Team (Kelowna)
Jasmine Coubrough (2006) Vernon Ski Club / OST (Salmon Arm)
BC Men’s Training Group
Baptiste Cais (2005) Fernie Alpine Ski Team (Field)
As a fourth generation “Rossland’er”, Catherine Adair has had front row seats to countless family skiing moments, many of them involving local or regional ski competitions.
Now, in her career as a Manager of Community Development for Teck Resources at their Vancouver head office, Catherine’s favourite topic may still be her Kootenay roots.
“I had a ski pass every year so it’s what we did as a family every weekend,” Catherine explained, about growing up on the slopes of Red Mountain. “I wasn’t much of a ski racer – I did the Nancy Greene ski league for a while – but my sister and my two cousins Jenni and Julia Delich raced competitively.”
During her youth, Catherine got to know many of the ski areas across the province when the family travelled to various ski areas in the interior and Coast, one of the perks of being in a skiing community.
“My grandfather on one side and great grandfather on the other side moved to Rossland to work in the mines,” she explained, when BC Alpine connected with her in March. “Then my grandparents [the Delich’s] operated “Delich Jewelry” in town for a number of years.”
All in the family
Catherine’s mom (Teresa) was a successful national-ranked ski racer, winning the Pontiac Cup in the 1970s, as she trained on the slopes of Red Mountain. And Mike Delich – Catherine’s uncle – was instrumental in the development of ski racing in both Rossland and Fernie. Mike, a long-time FIS Technical Delegate as well as the former Chair of BC Alpine, is a developer and builder in Fernie, where he laid roots in the 1980s, raising daughters Julia and Jenny, both former national team skiers for Canada as well as graduates of NCAA ski racing university programs in the United States.
“Ski racing builds so many of the skills that you need to be a successful adult. We have many people who work with Teck who used to be ski racers.”
For Catherine, her professional journey brought her back to Rossland in 2010 when she worked at the Teck Trail Operations Smelter – one of the world’s largest fully integrated zinc and lead smelting and refining complexes – for close to 10 years.
The experience allowed her to experience her hometown as an adult, including all of the outdoor pursuits and snow-filled recreations.
Natural partnership
As a long-time sponsor and supporter of BC Alpine and ski club programs across the province, Teck employees are passionate and engaged in community activities. As Catherine explained, a large number of Teck employees live in the communities across the province where ski clubs exist.
“A huge part of living in BC, particularly in the rural areas, is the opportunity to recreate in nature and skiing is such a big part of that,” she said. “A huge amount of our employees are involved with ski programs in BC so we want to support what they are involved in.
“What our communities care about is where Teck wants to be.”
As a sponsor and engaged partner with various sports and arts programs across the province, Teck continues to nurture and help build these community connections through their involvement.
First-hand perspective
Catherine attended a BC Alpine Teck Coast Zone U16 race in Whistler in February, and was impressed with the skiing level of the racers and the hard working volunteers.
Catherine Adair (left) and Anders Hestdalen (BC Alpine CEO) in Whistler.
“I saw so many people helping with the races, and it seemed to me like a really fun and welcoming community,” she said. It was really fun, it was my second time skiing Whistler. Anders [Hestdalen] showed me around the mountain and it truly is a spectacular and world class resort … and to see the facilities that ski racing has set up there was really impressive.”
Ski racing in BC is no doubt a close-knit community and Catherine can appreciate the volunteerism and professionalism shown by the ski clubs and BC Alpine.
And the experience of growing up in Rossland was something Catherine certainly doesn’t take for granted.
“I was so lucky, it’s such a safe and welcoming community where everyone takes care of each other and there was always something fun to do outside … Rossland will always be home.”
Photo at top: The Teck U16 Western Championships were held at Red Mountain in March. Photo by Steve Hilts – freshshots.ca
