Hi My name is Marek Behnke, and I am a ski racer! This winter I would like to keep you up to date with what is happening as I travel across Europe for all my races.
This winter I have a busy programme of training and racing as well as being in Year 13 at school where I am studying for my A levels in Physics, Design Technology and RS.
I am really looking forward to this winter as I hope that I will be as successful as I was this summer when I finished 2nd overall in the All England Championships as well as winning the British Indoor Grand Prix Series in my age group – Junior 2 (Under 19). I will be racing in all four alpine disciplines – Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super G and downhill as well as a new freestyle discipline of Skiercross.
I will be based in Bormio (Italy) for some of the winter with my alpine race team – Ambition. When I am back at home I will be training with Ski MK Race Team who train in Milton Keynes. I am able to do this with the support of Sno!Zone who allow me to use their slopes free of charge.
Friday 11th December was the end of term and my time to pack! I needed to check that all my school work is on my laptop. It won’t stay switched on long enough to boot up, why do these things always happen the night before I go away?
on Saturday 12th December it was a case of being back at Heathrow Terminal 5 again – and that means the start of the winter for me! I am heading off to Bormio for a week of training and racing. It will be so good to be back on the snow again! I have had to leave my laptop behind and borrow my Dad’s which means no music or films to fill the journey. Oh well, I will just have to do some of my physics as I have mocks when I get back after Christmas, and a retake of one of my A level papers
On Sunday I was up at 6am, what a time to be getting up in the morning. Free skiing day, no gates, but lots of giant slalom work to brush up on core technique again. Only problem is that we were on the hill for 8 hours, that blew the flight out of my system! It’s amazing how quickly you get back into training routine, ski in the morning, lunch, more skiing, back to the flat, service skis, schoolwork, supper, and fall into bed. If only I could log into Dad’s computer!
There were flat light conditions all day on Monday, not great for training and the coaches had set a 60 gate slalom course which was really tough in the conditions. We had a new rule in training today, if you come out of the course, you have to walk back up. I came out on the second to last gate so it was a very long walk back up while the other guys got to take the lift up! I don’t want to do that too often!
I also discovered that the problem with my laptop is terminal. My Mum text me to say that the motherboard has failed, and Dell won’t help as it is two weeks out of warranty despite the fact I only had it for Christmas last year.
Things got worse when I heard that the BA cabin staff have voted to strike which means that I may not be able to get back out to Italy for my next training week starting on Boxing Day. The whole of the team are going to be affected as we all travel together.
The sun was back out again on Tuesday, but it was very cold -10C. Giant Slalom training today which went pretty well and I managed to stay in the course on each run, so that saved me the walk! We were training under full race conditions so that meant stripping down to catsuits which was really cold in the conditions. Then it was back to the flat to get packed. Five of us are heading off to Klausberg for the FIS races which will give me four races in four days – two Giant slalom and two slalom. I am really not looking forward to the 6 ½ hour journey through Italy, Livigno and Switzerland in the Ambitions minibus. It is going to be a very long day, but I am looking forward to racing tomorrow. It is my first outdoor race since last January and my first chance for FIS points since the same races last year, so fingers crossed!