ANNA HOFFMANN
Madison, WI
I retired from ski jumping at the ripe age of 24 this year, and in doing so, I have learned a lot about myself and what ski jumping means to me. Normally, retirements are met with pension plans, social security checks, and biannual trips to the dermatologist to get those new moles checked out. For me, retirement was a bit different. Most people think that your twenties are the ‘peak’ of your life and filled with exciting beginnings and hopes for your career, but I have felt like I am having a quarter-life crisis. I realized that I was no longer bringing the same joy and spirit into the sport that ski jumping had always given back to me. I was a little worn out and tired from being on the road for months at a time and permanently living out of a suitcase, but I still felt like I hadn’t even achieved half of the goals I wanted to achieve in the sport. I have since found peace in knowing that I will always have lofty goals and the things I have accomplished are enough despite always wanting more because I love ski jumping. It’s that fact that made me realize it is okay to retire from ski jumping and still have an immense never-ending love for this unique sport we do.
This summer, after taking over a year off from jumping to recover from hip surgery and take a mental break, I finally got a chance to get back on the hill. I was apprehensive at first, but I got to the top of the jump and felt right at home. It was so freeing to realize that I could just go off the jump and not have to worry about if I was going to be at my top form for the next competition. In some ways, going down the hill and having an absolute blast was exactly what I needed to cement in my decision of moving on from ski jumping competitively. My face hurt from smiling so much that day and I was able to say with confidence that I had no desire to ever do that competitively ever again. Since that day, I have gotten to jump twice for corporate entertainment events and each time has been equally exciting and fun as when I first started. Getting antsy at the top of the jump and having that adrenalin rush at the bottom is what always captivated me about ski jumping as a child.
Ski jumping is such a special and unique sport, and I hope many people can experience the overwhelming joy it can bring. I think we can all learn to let things go not despite loving them but instead because we love them. We will always have goals we haven’t achieved yet even when we are ready to retire because there is passion and drive that comes with loving things dearly. At this stage in life, I feel like I am better off showing my love to ski jumping in other ways than competing. I’m grateful for all the people that brought the love of ski jumping to me and paved the way in this sport, and I hope to do the same for others. Cheers to retirement in your twenties!
