Go to the Start
Life as a World Cup Ski Racer
by Michael Janyk

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As a third-generation member of a ski-racing family, Mike Janyk fulfills a childhood dream by becoming a world class ski-racer on the biggest stage. He travels to glamourous locales, wins accolades, and enjoys the spotlight and camaraderie that comes with belonging to a national team at the World Cup and the Olympic Games. In this beautifully explored memoir, Janyk chronicles the inner life of an elite athlete from being encouraged in sports by parents hoping to find an outlet for his “excessive energy,” to his rise as a young athlete with big dreams and the will to work for them. He takes us through the emotional whirlwind of victories, defeats, and the eventual need for personal reinvention that come with a life in sport. A deep dive into the psychology of a champion athlete, Go To the Start is painted in many colors as a fascinating, sometimes tormented, but frequently hilarious coming-of-age set in a milieu that most of us would never dream we could enter. In lively, evocative prose, Janyk brings readers into the enchantment of standing in the starting gate on a snowy night, to the self talk and mind-over-matter thinking that overcome an athlete’s anxieties and fears, to the thrill of standing on the winners’ podium. It’s a journey of self-discovery that takes him from great emotional heights and to deeply troubled depths, until he comes to find a new way of being in the world. An intimate look into the emotional journey of a world-class athlete, Go to the Start offers a unique perspective and delivers it with deep insight, honesty, and appealing wit.

www.michaeljanyk.com

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“If you have ever strapped on skis and dreamed of racing your way to victory, you will find yourself somewhere on the pages of Mike Janyk’s odyssey through the sport - from the doubt and loathing, to the ecstasy of the near-perfect performance. The same holds for anyone pursuing individual sport where even the very best lose far more often than they win. So why? As Janyk would instruct himself throughout his decades of racing, just “go to the start” and find out. This is a wonderful tale of on one man’s many hard-earned answers over the years, filled with invaluable lessons for could-be champions as well as the many more participants. As it turns out, it’s not about the wins.” —Steve Porino, Broadcaster, NBC Sports “Go to the Start is a captivating journey into the heart, mind, and body of a world-class ski racer. The challenges Mike Janyk faced (and overcame) and the lessons he learned can be valuable for anyone striving to be their best at anything.” —Jim Taylor, Ph.D., sport psychologist, former world-ranked ski racer

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Raised in a family of ski-racers, Mike Janyk raced on the Canadian National Team for fourteen years, performed in three Olympics, won a World Championship bronze medal, and reached the World Cup podium. He lives in Whistler, BC with his wife, daughter and dog where he enjoys biking, skiing for fun, walking the trails and when life allows for it, doing nothing at all.

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Contributors

Author

Michael Janyk

Foreword by

Clara Hughes

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