The 7 habits of an Olympic XC skier

We’ve all heard about Stephen R Covey’s seven habits of highly effective people, but what is it that sets an Olympic level athlete apart?

In the spirit of #OlympicDay on 23 June 2017, we spoke to two time Winter Olympic Australian Cross Country skier Barbara Jezeršek about her daily habits… 

1.    Doing something for someone else.

Small gestures of kindness go a long way to make a person feel good about themselves and for the person on the receiving end. Everyday Barbara wakes up, makes coffee and breakfast for her partner and delivers it to her in bed.  “breakfast in bed every day - but not for me” she said.

2.    Laughter.

Barbara says she likes to watch funny dog and cat videos in the morning because they make her feel happy and she likes to get a morning dose of laughter each morning.  “It’s like coffee shot” she said. 

3.    Superstition/ritual.

Just like lots of high profile athletes (eh hm, anyone watch Tennis?) Barbara dons a very special item of clothing during competitions to help her perform at her best. “I wear my lucky underwear for racing” she told SSA. “In case if I don't perform well, than I can blame the underwear” she said!

4.    Rest and relaxation.

Barbara said she loves her rest days because she literally does nothing. “I like to stay in bed and watch good shows.” And given the intense energy these cross country skiers exert in racing and training, we think a little R&R is good for the soul, and good for body and mind recovery aswell.

5.    Healthy obsession.

“I'm definitely obsessed with watching Chanel 7 SUNRISE and I want to meet the whole team at their studio” she said.  We’re not one to judge the difference between a habit and a crazy obsession, but we’re a big fan of Eddie Bartholomew, Mark Beretta and the team at Sunrise aswell.

6.    Appreciation of the arts.

Artyfactory.com says that the more you appreciate and understand the art of different eras, movements, styles and techniques, the better you can develop, evaluate and improve your own artwork.  This must be why, like Barbara, good athletes can appreciate other forms of performance outside of their own sport.  “I love to go to see a good ballet at the Sydney Opera House” she said, “especially when they do classical ballet with an amazing story.” 

7.    Aussie sarcasm.

There’s more to Australia than lamingtons, vegemite and cricket… good old Aussie sarcasm and humour is key to immersing yourself in the country’s fabric and we think Barbara does it with perfect charm “I like to be silly and make people laugh. I think it’s my European humour and I'm working on my Australian sarcasm ;)” she said.

So there it is, a regular dose of laughter, R&R, appreciation for other art forms, kindness towards others and some healthy obsession (mixed in with lots of cross country training and hard work) are some of the habits of this 2010 and 2014 Australian Olympian.  

Barbara will look ahead to selection for her third Olympic Winter Games for the Australia Team held in PyeongChang, Korea in 2018.

Images: Barbara with her cross country team mates at the 2017 World Championships and at the 2017 SSA Awards.

Top image: at the Tour de Ski.

Alexandra Rouse | Barbara Jezeršek
Ski & Snowboard Australia