A Collingwood-raised ski racer stood atop the podium in New Hampshire as the winner of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) skiing championships for the men’s slalom race on March 5.
Although the rainy weather was not ideal, Jayden Buckrell said he thrives in bad weather.
"I love the super gritty conditions,” he said.
Last September, Buckrell started studying business administration at New Hampshire University. Now, he can’t believe how far he’s come.
“As a freshman it was my first experience at NCAA, so I still can’t believe that I won it. It’s been a fever dream the past week and a half,” he said.
By the end of February Buckrell made it to the NCAA Division 1 finals and won his first NCAA race along with rookie of the year.
“It’s been great to watch… I never imagined this would be part of it, NCAA champion, but he does work so hard and seeing it come together is wonderful. It’s a tough sport but he’s doing great,” said his mom Sarah Applegarth.
As a multi-sport athlete it got tough to manage playing hockey and skiing during one season. At 16 years old, Buckrell had to choose one. Though he still plays hockey on the side he said he’s glad for his choice.
Now 20, it’s been five years since he set the goal to ski for a Division 1 school and set his sights on racing the World Cup circuit for team Canada.
During the summer and fall, Buckrell spent five or six days a week focusing on strength, muscle endurance and power-based training.
“It was a really good April to November block for me with just work in the gym and I’m seeing it really pay off now and translate to my skiing,” he said.
His mom described the importance of the journey, that it’s about being healthy and staying fit.
“His dad always taught him to take care of his body as a part of skiing,” she explained.
Now, a typical week for Buckrell is five days of training then travelling to races on the weekends. All his classes are in the afternoons; the team meets up at 6:15 a.m., they drive to the hill, train and are back for classes by 12:45 p.m. Evenings are spent tuning skis and getting as much homework done as possible.
What surprised Buckrell about his college experience is the amount of support from professors and teammates. During the fall, before he was skiing, he didn’t realize how much class time he would miss during the ski season.
“It’s been absolute chaos, so much missed school that it’s hard to stay on top of stuff,” he said, though he believes he is managing well in his first year.
“The professors are super supportive and so good about it all,” he said of the email communications and office hours he finds helpful.
Plus, he said his teammates help with questions and concerns both academically and with athletics, “we’re all in this together we’re like a family almost.”
On his journey to compete on the national team, Buckrell said he gets some of his drive from being part of an athletic family. His mom is a strength coach and owns Active Life Conditioning and his dad coaches skiing.
“My family are my biggest supporters and biggest sponsors, I could not do this without them and it was super awesome that they were there to watch last week. It made the experience a lot better,” said Buckrell.
Passionate about sports in general, he said he has “a ton of people to thank,” including coaches, teammates, his captain, and many supporters.
Loyal to his home club Osler Bluffs, Buckrell loves going back and talking with members. He is grateful to Active Life Conditioning, where he trains.
“They really put the fuel to my fire and help me get all the work I need done in the summer to perform on the hill,” said Buckrell.
Travel and equipment expenses can be demanding for skiers. Donations can be made through his page at snow athletes Canada, which comes with a tax receipt.
“Any financial support goes a really long way,” he said.
