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Will you join me please, for a very big year in Canadian ski racing?
Ski racing at any level is a privilege. It may be an individual sport, but you never do it alone. To compete Internationally, you need your teammates, your family, your community, and your country to join you.
My Story:
Skiing for my country has always been my goal. At 11 years old, I put it in writing.
In the 2019-20 season, I was honoured to be named to the Canadian Alpine Ski Team, ahead of my U21 cohort. Unfortunately, an ACL injury and the pandemic forced a hiatus. Despite these setbacks, I made a remarkable comeback this past season, emerging as one of the top two-discipline skiers in North America.
One of my proudest moments was winning my first NorAm slalom race at Mont-Tremblant a year ago, scoring 15.00 points. I was the only athlete in the top 10 not on their national team. Starting with bib #27 in a field full of World Cup skiers, I won the first run and was 4th fastest in the second run. This breakout performance marked a significant milestone after a year of injury recovery and a return to snow with the University of Vermont, racing in the NCAA.
I was skiing on 3-year-old equipment, but fuelled with renewable energy from the Osler, Collingwood and Ontario communities. Competing as an NCAA skier was an amazing experience, with many opportunities for experience and success, but I have been self-coached, -trained, -managed, and -financed.
This past season, I joined the Canadian Alpine Ski Team for two weeks in Europe, training and racing in two European Cup races. Upon returning to the US, I won eight races in February 2024, all around minimum available FIS points, including a victory in the NorAm Slalom race at Mont Ste-Marie, scoring 16.26 points.
Upcoming Season Plans:
For the upcoming season, I will train and race with my Canadian teammates Erik Read and Simon Fournier on the World Racing Academy Team (WRA: Alpine Ski-Rennschule). I’ll be participating in a full Europa Cup season and any World Cup starts within reach. We are on snow training and racing in New Zealand, starting August 1.
Big Goals:
My goal is to break into the top 25 on the World Cup start list and I am committed to doing what it takes to reach this milestone. Many people dream of competing at a high level, but this is very much achievable for me, provided I have the community to support me. My current FIS world rankings are 68th in Slalom and 126th in GS. With every race, I’ll be gaining invaluable European experience and competing at the highest level, with the Cortina 2026 Olympics in sight.
Can’t Do This Without You!
I am so grateful for your encouragement and support, and would be happy to get on a call to talk about the season ahead.
Thank you,
Declan
declan@mccormack.ca