Trevor Philp, alpine, top 5 world cup threat
Trevor Philp knows the Winter Games are an equalizer for elite alpine athletes.
As a 29-year-old skier and veteran of the Canadian technical team, Philp is experiencing the energy of the Olympics for the third consecutive time.
“It’s that attitude of just absolutely going for it – no matter if you’re ranked first or 10th or 30th – that you’re going out there to win the medal,” said Philp.
Unlike the well-known and predictably scheduled World Cup circuit races, fewer athletes will be familiar with the course and its conditions at the Olympic Games in Beijing.
Philp noted a parallel event in November 2021 at Lech/Zuers, Austria, which had a similar “equalizing effect.” According to the veteran skier, these are the conditions that tend to open up the podium to many different athletes, giving new competitors an opportunity to fight for top spots.
“It’s all about the mentality on that day, every single run, approaching it with the right attitude to leave the start gate and just push,” said Philp.
“I was really happy with that earlier in the season; to mentally see that I could get fifth place.”
Philp’s mindset has evolved significantly over his 10-year career, in a process he describes as never ending. In the 2021-22 season, he is focusing less on cue words and technical forces before the race, instead relying a little more on music to avoid overthinking.
His strategy seems to be more about, “getting out of the way, and then going for it.”
He is looking to push hard while allowing his training to naturally take over. Philp is also using a mental training technique known as visualization. After the inspection run on race day, he uses an hour or two before the race to really visualize the course, feel the weight transfer in his body, the snow and the weather.
“It’ll be interesting to see how the snow is there,” said Philp, adding that he is expecting a cold, dry climate at these Olympic Games. “So that’ll be a little bit different. We’ll have to see that when we get there.”
In December 2021, Philp says he made three big mistakes during his first run at Alta Badia, Italy. At that point, he figured he had little to lose and that he should just go for it. Upon checking the results, he realized he finished first in the second run, while placing 15th on the day.
“I really went for it on that second run and was able to hang in the leader box for a little bit there,” said Philp.
“It was neat to see that on one of the tougher slopes of the season.”
Philp started skiing at two years old. His family would go up to the mountains and ski on weekends. His parents would enrol him and his two brothers in the ski program when they were very young. Soon after, his older brother’s program would expand to two days a weekend.
“[Skiing] really was a family sport for us and I love that,” said Philp. “It was a big deal for our family, and we got a place in Canmore around that time. That was the start of our lives in Canmore and we’ve always had a place there since. It’s become home and I’m just so thankful for the community up there.
“It’s really the community that raised me as a ski racer,” continues Philp, who has many friends, family, supporters and memories from the Bow Valley.
“It’s where my whole ski career started and grew.”
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