Mogul Madii on the path to success
Published Mon 27 Mar 2017
The name Madii Himbury has circulated the freestyle skiing world for some time, but the recent moguls World Cup season has secured the 23-year-old a permanent fixture on the start list.
The Sydney-sider qualified for her first FIS Freestyle World Cup tour this season which saw her compete in 10 events in the space of two months.
After advancing to the World Cup finals in Tazawako and Calgary, Himbury ended the season with her World Championships debut at Sierra Nevada, Spain, where she placed 20th.
“It was very exciting but also very nerve-wracking,” Himbury said on reflection of her break-through season, where athletes are “checkpointed” to ensure they’re constantly meeting performance benchmarks.
“Every three competitions we had to make sure we were keeping results and our competition standard high, otherwise we could get dropped [from the tour],” she explained.
“There was a lot of pressure… but you have to put that aside and go out there and do the best that you can do on the day on that course.”
Himbury finished the season ranked 26th in the world, was thankful for the tight-knit Australian team on the World Cup circuit.
While testing her limits and pushing the boundaries in the 2017 season she received support and guidance from the likes of dual Olympian and World Champion Britt Cox, and Sochi Olympians Matt Graham and Brodie Summers.
“It definitely helps having all those guys there with their experience,” she said in regards her Olympian team-mates.
“It’s a long tour; I’ve never competed in that many competitions in a row before. I was like ‘how do I get through all this’ but everyone is trying to pep each other up and keep each other going.
“Our teammates are awesome; they all look after you if you’re stressing out or if anything is wrong. Britty [Cox] is always in the finals and she’s calm and collected. So if you need some calming down you can go hang out with Britt.
“I think we’re a lucky team where everyone is very supportive of each other.”
It has been a long journey for Himbury to get to where she is now, with her sights set on qualifying for her debut Olympic Games at PyeongChang 2018.
The former national gymnast had two knee reconstructions before the age of 18 as well as two back fractures.
However, her ‘never give up’ attitude is a major factor that ultimately enabled Himbury to compete at her first World Cup in 2015, where she placed eighth in the dual moguls on her 21st Birthday, and to qualify for her first World Cup tour in 2017.
“I love competing and I love the exhilaration it gives me.
“I feel like the reason I never stop is because I can get so much better. I’m not quitting until I think that I have reached my potential.
“I love that adrenaline rush and the thrill of keeping on pushing it. I think it’s that and the fact that I think I can get so much better that means I won’t stop until I feel like I’ve hit that point where I’m like ‘I’m done’.”
A testament to that positive attitude, Himbury is also studying a bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science part-time at the University of Sydney, with the aim of further study in paramedics or physiotherapy after her mogul’s career.
However, sensing her determination towards winter sports success, one would have to assume her health career is still a fair way off.