Snow beckons but Australia’s Ski Cross queen is resisting temptation

The winter season is officially underway with resorts expected to open early after a blast of snow and dropping temperatures but Australia’s female Ski Cross supremo Sami Kennedy-Sim is holding back from a quick trip to the snowy ranges this weekend – despite the urge to do so.

Coming off her most successful international season, where she captured her first World Cup medal claiming silver in Sweden plus four top ten finishes, Kennedy-Sim is currently focussed on strength and conditioning.

So much so that she has given up full-time work as a Winter Sports Administrator for the NSW Institute of Sport in Jindabyne and her growing fitness business ‘Team Sami’ to concentrate on the season ahead and the Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang next February.

“I’m not working at all this year,” she explained. “I started training again this season at the beginning of April with John (Marsden – OWIA Head of Athlete Preparation) and all my time is spent on that.”

“Having the ability to focus solely on training is allowing me to introduce some new elements and techniques.”

“I’m able to put in the hard work,” she said after a session running and hopping up and down sand dunes on a northern Sydney beach.

“I was so tempted to go to the snow this first weekend but I won’t go until July. Being able to get onto snow is becoming a reward - like dangling a little cherry on a stick.

 “This last two months is paying off and I’m feeling like I’m in really good shape. Recent testing has shown we are definitely on the right track.”

Australian Ski Cross head coach Shawn Fleming believes getting the work done early and building the base in this off-season period is critical.

“For Sami, it’s building on what she already had and continuing to make the work, work.”

“We did have a better season (2016/17) and it’s not always roses. There’s the work to be done and improving skills across the board.”

Article courtesy OWIA