I’ve only met Alice Mckennis a few times, but I’ve always admired her love of ski racing and the tenacity she has applied to our sport to find the success she has demonstrated recently (5th in the Olympic DH; 3rd in the World Cup DH at Are, Sweden). But my respect and appreciation for Alice has grown exponentially after reading a recent post on her blog. To be totally honest, it brought me to tears of admiration and inspiration for all that she has gone through to arrive at this pinnacle of ski racing success.

Alice’s short, yet powerful, blog post is packed full of nuggets of wisdom and inspiration that every young ski racer (and some older ones too) can benefit from. They are topics that I have written on many times in the past, but the messages carry so much more oomph when they come from someone like Alice. Here is a summary of my takeaways from the post (in no particular order):

• Believe in yourself and your dream;
• Have hope;
• Be patient, be persistent, and persevere;
• Own everything that impacts your ski racing and life;
• Focus on individual progress, not comparison to others;
• Trust the road you’re on;
• Ski for yourself;
• Good enough isn’t good enough;
• Never be satisfied or get complacent (especially when you’re successful);
• Constantly push your limits;
• Focus on the right things (i.e., what needs to be changed);
• Don’t think or worry about dumb stuff;
• Focus on what you can control (and let go of everything else);
• Earn, expect, and give respect (from and to self and others);
• Let passion be the fuel that drives you;
• It’s the details that make the difference;
• Be vulnerable;
• Seek out support (you can’t get to the top alone).

But PLEASE read Alice’s entire post. It is so worth it and my above list doesn’t do justice to the power of her words (and heart!).

And, finally, a huge BRAVO to you, Alice, and all my best as you savor your efforts and successes of this year and prepare for another big season next year!

Want to get your mind in the best shape of your life so you can perform your best when it matters most? Take a look at my latest book, Train Your Mind for Athletic Success: Mental Preparation to Achieve Your Sports Goals and at my online courses for ski racers and athletes in other sports.