Scorched Earth

As you probably already know, Viktor Brännmark is a guy who skied for us last season. He was a freshman who really only intended to stay for a year. He wanted to come to Alaska to gain some more experience outside his native Sweden and get some more training under his belt because his goal was (and is) ultimately to work his way onto the Swedish National Team - no easy feat.  By mid-winter, though, he was changing his mind. He liked his UAA teammates, the college racing scene, and life as a student-athlete, and he was getting faster, too. He figured he was going to stick around for a while.  At the NCAA Championships, Viktor was third in the 10k classic race.

Circumstances can change quickly. Viktor suddenly had an opportunity, due to his fast racing last winter, to join an elite Swedish team which he thinks is the right vehicle to help him toward his eventual goal of being a regular on the World Cup circuit. He figured it was an opportunity that might not come again, and he thought he'd better jump on this train before it left the station.

So Viktor is spending this summer and fall putting all his efforts into the advancement of his ski career. He's living back home in northern Sweden, just eating, sleeping, training, and living as close to the edge of exhaustion as he can get without going over the edge. It's a hard lifestyle that requires 100% commitment. I admire Viktor's willingness to put everything he has into his dream, and I'm enjoying watching his progress on his blog.  You can too, at:
http://viktorbrannmark.com/
(ps. Being able to read Swedish will facilitate comprehension of Viktor's blog.)

The Bird Whisperer