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A Saskatoon skier’s Olympic dream was born on the flat plains of Saskatchewan, and she’ll soon be heading to the the mountains of Italy to make that dream a reality.
Freestyle moguls skier Maïa Schwinghammer is preparing to head to the Olympics for the first time in February.
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“It’s crazy. I’m still in awe of it, really. This whole journey has been so incredible,” Schwinghammer said.
“To be heading to the games after all these years of work and dedication and just having my family by my side and my friends … it’s just pretty cool to have my spot for the games and be able to go and experience that.”
Schwinghammer qualified for the Olympics with a fifth-place finish at the Freestyle Moguls World Cup in Finland.
She said she felt quite a bit of pressure this year as she was preparing for the Olympics.
“As the season was beginning, I was definitely getting a little bit nervous,” Schwinghammer said.
“It’s all starting to feel real, and the contests (during an) Olympic year, it’s crazy. Everybody’s still trying to qualify for the games, and tensions and pressure is definitely really high.”
Maïa Schwinghammer has been doing some training at Optimist Hill in Saskatoon ahead of the Olympics in February. (Will Mandzuk/650CKOM)
The journey to the Olympics has been a long one for Schwinghammer, who started skiing when she was just two years old.
“The first time I was on skis I was towed behind a snowmobile on Christopher Lake,” she said.
“I learned how to ski at Mount Blackstrap with my parents, (but I) kind of caught the bug for it watching the Olympics in 2010. My dad was working the event there, so I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to go and watch as a very young kid, and that definitely gave me the inspiration.”
Schwinghammer said she has tried to reflect on the year she’s had and what’s in store for her in the near future, but said it still feels quite surreal.
“You think about something your whole entire life, and then it’s finally happening,” she said. “I think I really want to just experience everything and really enjoy the fact that I’ve put all this work in to get there.”
Schwinghammer said it’s been a whirlwind of a season so far.
“Without a doubt – a medal at world championships, winning the home event last season – it’s been a total ‘pinch-me’ year,” she said.
“It’s pretty cool to realize that I am living my childhood dreams right now, and it’s pretty special.”
Schwinghammer was training at Optimist Hill in Saskatoon during the holidays before heading out to more competitions.
“It’s a little different for sure. No mountains here in Saskatchewan, but I was lucky enough to have a crew build me a jump that’s similar to a mogul jump,” she said.
“For me to be able to stay fresh and stay on my toes and being able to work on my tricks here over the holidays, it’s definitely an edge I’ve got.”
The Olympics begin on February 6.
