Friday, March 29, 2024

Victor spreading his wings

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One Barbadian youth is looking to go where no other fellow countryman has gone before.

Victor White, 20, is looking to make it to the Winter Olympics next month.

In fact, in a few days’ time he will be heading off to Aspen in Colorado in hopes of qualifying for slope style free skiing at the Olympics.

Yes, skiing.

So imagine this young man, basking in the sunshine last Thursday at Brandons with the beautiful clear beach as a backdrop talking about his passion on the slopes.

“This year I’m hoping to qualify for the Winter Olympics. The first two qualifiers were really rough for me. I didn’t pull through because I hurt myself during qualification practice and during the second one I came up short. In my sport you have this run with three jumps and three rail obstacles so you have to put a run together with tricks and flips through the course,” he explained.

But where did his love for skiing come from?

White told EASY Magazine that having grown up in Sweden, he just fell in love with the snow.

“I’m Barbadian. My father is from My Lord’s Hill. My mother is Finnish. I was born in Sweden. So I was raised up between Sweden and Barbados. Because of my mother’s side and the snow, I came in contact with it and I fell in love with it. I just progressed; I was a crazy kid and trying out crazy things. Then I got good at it and I entered a few competitions and I won them.

“That’s where it started. During the winter holidays we used to go up to my grandmother’s cabin and ski there. So I was skiing since I was four years old,” he said.

White said he believes his chances of qualifying are good and he’s excited to go to the Olympics.

“My chances are good. I felt good the last two qualifiers but something wasn’t right, I couldn’t get it together. But I just need to get that one run done and I’ll be good. If all goes well I will be leaving the beginning of February and my competition would be the 18th of February,” he said.

Though he won’t be able to physically prepare for the remaining two qualifiers as he’s home in Barbados, White said he’s preparing mentally.

“The time off snow is as important as time on snow. But I’m still working out hard. With what I do, it’s really tough on your body. It’s good to rest up and come fresh,” he added.

White said he plans to become the best skier in the world and he has no intentions of stopping until it becomes a reality. (DB)

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