Meet Ireland's sole representative at the Youth Winter Olympics

Ever hear the one about the lad from Dublin representing Ireland as a competitive skier at the Youth Winter Olympics?

Meet Ireland's sole representative at the Youth Winter Olympics

By Peter McNamara

Ever hear the one about the lad from Dublin representing Ireland as a competitive skier, yes skier, at the Youth Winter Olympics?

No? Well, listen up for the story of one Gary Skinner, a young man living his dreams of challenging at the highest possible levels of his chosen sporting discipline.

However, to say it is an obscure chosen sporting discipline for an Irish man is an understatement.

Jamaica had their bobsledders. Ireland has Skinner and his skiing only this is real life and not a spin-off to the 1993 Disney classic movie.

And Skinner is Ireland’s sole representative at the aforementioned Youth Winter Olympics which begin in Lillehammer, Norway, today and run until February 21.

That alone, of course, is an achievement in itself, especially by somebody from these shores whereby weather conditions, obviously, do not allow for the smoothest of preparations.

The Clongowes Wood College student from Terenure will take part in Alpine Skiing events competing against others aged from 16 to 18.

Skinner will participate in four disciplines: Super-G, Super Combined, Giant Slalom and Slalom, where he will reach speeds of 80 to 100 kilometers per hour descending the slopes.

And he has ambitions of making a genuine impact in Lillehammer.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he stated from his Scandinavian base yesterday. “It will be difficult to compete against full-time snow athletes but I will do my very best, leaving nothing on the slope.

“My primary aim is to represent everybody that supports me and the country in a positive way, though.

“I have trained extremely hard this season at home and in Leogang, Austria so I feel really strong and ready. Hopefully everything will go well because I’m here to challenge.

“It’s quite difficult, obviously, to compete in a winter-based sport in Ireland but I’m really lucky to have the support of my family to give me the opportunity to do what I love.”

How, though, did this all come about in the first place? Skinner began skiing at the age of four and by the time his ninth birthday came around he was already racing via the Ski Club of Ireland in Kilternan.

His development as a skier is remarkable and he has already ventured far and wide during his fledgling sporting career.

“I loved skiing from a very early age, actually. I was about four when I started.

“I remember my family bringing me to Westendorf in Austria when I was very young and my dad bringing me around the mountain.

“In Ireland, I was still very interested in skiing so I went to the Ski Club of Ireland in Kilternan quite often afterwards.

“I started racing in Kilternan when I was about eight years old and I remember doing races both at home and in the UK on dry slopes and indoor snow domes.

“Now I train in Leogang and do races around Europe.

“One of these races was the European Youth Olympic Festival.

“Last summer, I even went down to Australia to compete and train for seven weeks so I’m gaining experience all the time, thankfully.

“I took part in the Australian-New Zealand Cup and the Australian National Championships.

“Those were great experiences and good fun,” Skinner explained.

Skinner, however, is level-headed enough to appreciate that his extremely dedicated outlook is effectively complemented by a wide-ranging support network from his family to coaches both home and abroad.

Skinner is acutely conscious of performing to as high a level as possible in Norway due to a deep-rooted desire to “make those around me as proud as I can make them”.

“I’m really looking forward to the Games now and all of the preparation is in the bag,” he said. “I’m very thankful to get such a great chance, I can’t stress that enough.

“It will be difficult to compete, I know that myself but I will do my best and hopefully that can be good enough to make those around me as proud as I can make them.

“My ambition for these Games is to make my family and friends proud and also, as I said, represent the country in a good way.

“Due to the fact there is no snow at home I have been focusing on my fitness and strength.

“In skiing, it is vitally important to be fit and strong so in Ireland I can really focus on that side and go abroad ready to improve on my skiing.

“My dad is very supportive of me and enjoys watching me improve.

“It would be nice to put a smile on his and my family’s faces while I’m here and challenging too,” he added.

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