Brad Spence

Sport: Alpine skiing

Birthplace: Calgary, Alberta

Residence: Calgary, Alberta

Born: April 1984

"Of all the places in the world I have been to, nothing beats skiing in the Canadian Rockies"

There is no better job in the world than being an elite athlete. In saying that, being a successful athlete does not come easy. When someone asks what it takes to make it, I tell them there are many sacrifices you have to make along the road, but in the end, they are all worth it.

Discipline is important, especially when it comes to training. In the summers, I train twice a day, Monday to Friday. In the mornings, I usually lift weights. I mainly focus on strengthening my lower body, but it's more or less a full body workout. The whole lifting session can take upwards of three hours a day.

In the afternoon, I spend a lot of time on my road bike working on my aerobic and anaerobic capabilities (sometimes upwards of three-and-a-half hours a day).

A typical training day for me during the winter season would be:

6:30 a.m. - Wake up
8:00 a.m. to noon - Snow training
Noon to 1:30 p.m. - Lunch
1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. - Nap
3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. - Physiotherapy
4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. - Workout
10:00 p.m. - Bed

Doing my off-snow training in Calgary gives me the opportunity and convenience to workout at the Bob Niven Training Centre at Canada Olympic Park, and also be on great cycling roads and bike paths from my door step.

If it wasn't for the mountains in my backyard I wouldn't be a ski racer. As a Calgary native, I am extremely fortunate to have access to so many world-class facilities for my training.

One question I’m often asked is, "Where is your favorite place in the world to ski?” Of all the places in the world I have been to, nothing beats skiing in the Canadian Rockies. I might be slightly biased saying this, but what I do know is that the snow is never as good in Europe as it is here, and absolutely nothing beats the scenery from the top of Lake Louise.

The proudest moment of my sporting career to date would have to be placing 13th in the World Cup Slalom in Kranjska Gora. Leading up to the Torino Olympics I crashed and broke my leg, tore the ligaments in my knee, and developed nerve damage in my lower leg. I was out of competition for three years. During that time, I had multiple surgeries and worked on healing my ailments and getting strong again.

The 2008/2009 season was my first back in competition and I worked all year to earn my way back onto the World Cup circuit. With Kranjska Gora being the last stop on the World Cup circuit for the season, I finally had the chance to race in my first ever World Cup slalom. Going in with no real expectations all I wanted to do was finish the race knowing that I skied as fast as I could have.

After the first run (where I started 56) I was sitting in 30th place, and after the second run (where I posted the second-fastest run) I ended up finishing in 13th.

During the three year I was off injured, I had doubts many times about ever being able to ski competitively again. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into my recovery. Seeing my name on the results board mixed in with some of the best ski racers in the world made the entire road to recovery completely worth it.

I have learned that, ultimately, I am responsible for my successes as an athlete—that’s leadership. Being in an individual sport there is no one to blame but yourself, and at the end of the day, the harder you work, the more successful you will be.

My hero is Canadian alpine skier Thomas Grandi. Growing up, I watched Thomas become the first-ever Canadian male to stand on the podium and then win a World Cup technical race (Thomas won giant slalom World Cup race in December 2004.) I love the way he skis, but more importantly, I look up to him because of the kind of person he is.

His approach to training, his mental toughness, and his outlook on life are just a few of the many things that I have learned from him that have made me a better athlete.

After many years of idolizing Thomas, I got the opportunity to be on the same team with him, and I can truly say that many of the lessons I learned in skiing were from him.

More about Brad Spence

Gender: Male

Club: Panorama Ski Club

Other Sport Highlights:

• First in slalom Nor-Am Cup at Lake Placid in March 2009
• First in giant slalom International Ski Federation race at Leogang, Austria in February 2009
• First in giant slalom Nor-Am Cup at Nakiska in February 2009