I retired like most athletes—tired and bitter, glad for the experience yet wishing I had done more. That first autumn, not going to the glaciers or to torturous dryland training camps, and suddenly spending my time sitting in a classroom, I found myself with plenty of time to reflect. So when Gary Black, publisher of Ski Racing, suggested I write an article about my new perspective I jumped at the opportunity, and a few hours later Racer-eX was born.
The overwhelming response from Racers eX to that first article indicated I had connected with a like-minded community of athletes and struck a vein of rich material. Racer eX became a regular column in Ski Racing and later in SKI.
Racer eX is my pen name, and an identity I share with every athlete who has dedicated himself or herself completely to be the best at anything. However, you don’t need an athletic background to understand and appreciate the dynamics that fuel the eX-er community. The “glory days,” are often retold, but the meat of the sports experience lies in the untold story—the part of most careers that never gets told. When my teammates reminisce, it’s not about the wins or losses. It’s about all the space between.
Racer Ex Archives: Some of the columns that ran in Ski and Ski Racing