“The Project”, part 2 by Angie

Mike Nohr joined Vakava late last Summer, early Fall. This is not the best time to start your ski training as we all know that skiers are made in the Summer. But Mike seemed determined and Ahvo thought he’d be a good candidate so we had him check us out. Mike had raced pretty well over a decade ago and we knew he wanted to get back into his old racing form. Being in that same boat myself a few years ago, I could relate. (Although I had the good sense to start in the Spring!) When he came to our workout it was immediately clear that Mike had his work cut out for him. He was tentative on his roller skis and out of shape and he could not keep up with our slowest members. We weren’t sure what to make of him at first. Knowing first hand what kind of effort it takes to get back into shape after over a decade off, we wanted to be sure he knew what he was signing up for and how much work it would be and make sure he was committed. But he was so excited and determined to race that we knew we had to seriously consider him anyway. Attitude is very important. We’re more than just a bunch of skiers who get together once a week to have fun and stay in shape, although that is a big part of it. We also have a commitment to training and racing which can be hard to sustain for working adults/parents. Being around others who are equally committed is very important to keeping ourselves going. So after some discussion we decided that Mike had the right attitude and we figured he be able to work his way back into skiing form so we asked him to join us and he did.

I started teasing him a bit about all the work he had ahead of him and told him that he would be our “Project”. So far I think the project is going well. We were certainly right about him having the right attitude and commitment and I think his enthusiasm has been a nice shot in the arm for the rest of us weary warriors. And his skiing has improved a great deal as well. He still has a long way to go, but so far the project is definitely on the right track. So it’s good to have you on board, Mike. We’re looking forward to seeing what you can do with a full year or two of training under your belt.