After months in Europe training rigorously towards big goals, rest and recovery are vital in order to achieve those goals come wintertime. For many of our athletes, home is a great place to do that. This series will take a glimpse into our athlete’s lives at home before the 2019-2020 season kicks off in late November- the calm before the storm.
Below is our interview with Women’s Ski Jumping Team member Logan Sankey (Steamboat Springs, CO). Enjoy!
How long were you in Europe before returning home?
Two months
What do you look forward to most about being home?
I most look forward to seeing my family and my dogs when I come home. And eating all my favorite foods.
What are the things you miss about America or your hometown while gone?
I miss going into town in Steamboat and knowing that I’m guaranteed to see someone I know whether it’s at Howelsen or at the grocery store. I also miss my family, friends, and dogs.
What’s the first meal that you eat back at home. Is it homecooked or do you eat out?
I make a whole list of foods that I’m excited to eat when I get back to the US. This time it had: Mexican food, a Bagel, Annie’s Mac & Cheese, Peanut Butter m&ms, Wint-o-Green Lifesaver Mints, and a Reese’s Cup.
After a pretty demanding and long training camp in Europe, how do you recover and relax while at home?
I usually take a day to chill and maybe just go on a short run to help fight jet lag. As far as relaxing goes, a lazy Sunday on the couch watching football with my Dad is always a good way to chill out (unless the Broncos are losing, pretty common this year, and then maybe my Dad is not as chill).
Do you have a favorite food or coffee spot at home?
Skull Creek Greek is my absolute favorite place to eat out at home. I make sure to stop in at least once every time I’m back. I LOVE their feisty falafel pita. SO GOOD!
Are there any other favorite places for you to hang out while at home?
Mostly just my house haha. If it’s warm then I like to go to the river! But definitely not happening at the moment.
Tell me something about your hometown that people probably don’t know.
Steamboat got its name because there used to be a sulfur geyser that when it erupted sounded like a steamboat chugging through town. When they built the railroad years back the geyser stopped erupting and you can’t hear the sound anymore.
Walk me through a typical day at home right now.
Wake up, do my stretching/yoga routine (ever since surgery last year, my hips are very tight in the morning), make some oatmeal or a smoothie, go to training, come back and hang out with the dogs, maybe watch some Netflix and do a little knitting, go to second training, chill with the family and make some yummy dinner.
Are you jumping? If not, what are you focusing on?
Jumping a little bit (as weather permits) and focusing on solidifying feelings before heading into the break and gearing up to push hard in the gym.
What are the key things you are focusing on as an athlete during this time?
Mentally preparing for a long winter and making sure I’m putting in work so that I’m setting myself up for success in the season.
How do you balance being an athlete and a person?
Athletes are people too! I like to hang out with friends and family and focus on talking about things completely unrelated to ski jumping and sport. I also like to take classes and be learning new things so that I can grow outside of the sport.
How important to you is this “quiet time” before the season or after a long trip?
So important. I can’t be going at 100% all year long otherwise I get burnt out. This time is really important to reset both physically and mentally so that you can have a strong, fresh push going into the winter.
Have you started to think about or visualize winter?
There’s already snow on the ground so it’s hard not to think about winter! I’m getting excited about this season but trying not to look too far ahead. This way I can make the most of my time at home and focus on this building phase.
What do you think about when you visualize the upcoming season? Which thoughts excite you?
I’m a lot stronger and fitter than I was going into last season after my surgery so I’m really excited to see what I can do with that extra preparation and build of my season last year.
