In cross-country skiing, athletes propel themselves over distances of ten and twenty miles - a physical challenge that places intense demands on the ability of their red blood cells to deliver oxygen to their muscles.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
For most Olympic athletes, their training is their hardest challenge and where they push themselves to the limit. For Paralympians, training and competition is an escape from the hardships and struggles of their everyday life. That is the difference.
For me, skiing is a physical necessity. I have a need for risk.
Skiing makes me feel great, and it gives my legs such an incredible workout.
The harsh cold and windburn from hours of skiing does a lot of damage to my skin, so I try to keep my skin as moisturized as possible.
It's important to remember that because these athletes exercise so beyond what even a normal active person would, they generally must also supplement their diet.
Being an athlete, you know how to train and prepare your body for a performance and you're able to do it under pressure.
Cross country skiing is great if you live in a small country.
I'm not really good at skiing or snowboarding, or swimming, per se.
If someone were to actually come to one of our training sessions, there's lots of flipping and sweating and crying and blood going on all over the place. I mean, if that doesn't qualify it as a sport, then I don't know what does.
The paradox of endurance sports is that an athlete can never work as hard as he wants, because if he pushes himself too far, his hematocrit will fall.