Features

Images c/o Chris Drake

Ed Drake is Britain's number one male alpine skier and made his Winter Olympic debut at the Vancouver Games.  He told us all about being an Olympic athlete, and his goals for the future.

We were all glued to our screens watching the Winter Olympics and imagining what it would be like to be there. How did the atmosphere compare to what you’d imagined?

Having not been to a Winter Olympics before, I didn’t really know what to expect from my personal experience, but I was at the games with Chemmy Alcott right from the start, so she was on hand to give me some insider info as she’d been to two Games before, so that was very useful!

To be honest though, the whole occasion was bigger than I’d pictured. There were Olympic signs and banners literally everywhere – it was amazing.

What was your favourite part of the Olympics?

Standing in the gate before my races were definitely my favourite and most memorable moments – that nervous buzz is what I’d been waiting for my whole career.

Was there much of a crowd further up the hill at the Olympics?

Yeah that was one of the great things about the set-up at Whistler – the public had access to almost all of the mountain outside of the race piste, so the crowd was five or six people deep near the start gate.

Do you mind the attention you get from the press?

Not at all, as long as it’s at the right times. I’m more than happy to do interviews after a race and I do like to talk to the press, but right before a race when you’re mentally prepared for it, it’s not great.

How would you sum up your own performances in Whistler?

In general I’d have liked to have done better – but my times weren’t too bad, especially considering how much skiing I’d missed over the winter [due to injury]. So I think it was okay in that context.

Has your knee injury affected your mentality?

Not really – the adrenaline and focus makes you forget about it when you race. It does affect training though – it’s very nerve-wracking worrying about whether it’s going to be ok to race or not.

What did you think of the performances of the other British athletes?

In general I think the British athletes performed alright, considering the amount of funding we have available. In terms of the amount of funding we get per medals won, it was a very similar performance to that of the British team at the summer Olympics. I don’t think people realise the difference in funding available to the summer and winter Olympic teams in Britain.

How about the state of British skiing in general – do you think the future is bright?

There certainly seems to be a lot more depth of talent now, in comparison to past years. There are a lot of young British skiers competing at relatively high level at the moment so hopefully we can develop those talents.

Are there any athletes you particularly get on with in the world of winter sports?

I became really good friends with AJ Rosen, the British luger, while we were at the Olympics as I shared a room with him. In general, everyone on the tour gets along and we all know each other very well because we’re all in the same places at the same times throughout the season.

How has the Ski Club’s involvement as your sponsor helped you?

The Ski Club has been my longest-standing sponsor, supporting me for 12 years now. They’ve helped me through hard financial times, and that’s allowed me to persevere with developing my skiing.

Do you get a break now or is it a year-round career?

It’s a year-round career – normally we’ll get a break of between ten days and two weeks in the summer, but even then you still have to keep your fitness up. I do think even a short break is important, as it allows you to maintain your focus when you are training properly.

What will you be doing this summer?

This summer will be slightly different as I’ll be finishing my knee rehab first, and then it’ll be back to the routine of going back-and-forth from glacier skiing, and going to Chile as it’s their ski season over the summer time here.

What are your goals for the 2010/11 season?

Much the same as 09/10 – I want to be winning Europa Cup events, and I want to break into the World Cup top 30. It’s an achievable target so I’ll be going hard at it.

Have you got an eye on the 2014 games already?

I’ll be 28 for the 2014 Games in Sochi and I should be nearing my peak, so it would be good to be at the sharp end and that’s my goal. The Olympics is the pinnacle of our sport, so even if the next Olympics is four years away, we’re always thinking about building towards it.

And your career goals?

To be an Olympic medallist. It’s every ski racer’s goal, and what I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid. I’m aiming to compete in the next two Olympics, and ultimately I’ll just be doing everything I can to be as good as I can.

Ed is currently focusing on building up strength and fitness following his knee injury and is working hard at the gym and the English Institute in St. Mary's. He hopes to join the British Alpine Ski Team senior summer programme as soon as he can.