Decker Dean - Steamboat’s 100th Olympian

Today we hear from Steamboat's 100th Olympian - Decker Dean! Decker joins us from Norway where he's training and competing after his 2022 Olympic debut in Beijing. Decker grew up in Steamboat, found jumping along the way and at 22, is officially a professional ski jumper, training and competing around the world. 

Today we talk about:

What it was like to grow up in Steamboat

What role SSWSC played in his life

Other sports & shenanigans Decker "participated" in including tourist flipping and unicycle riding :)

The state of ski jumping in the US and globally

How it feels to be a "celebrity" in Europe 

What it means to be a pro ski jumper

The importance of support in this sport: sponsors, parents, girlfriend (she won bronze in Beijing in Mixed Jumping - Abigail Strate of Canada)

2022 Beijing - all the details!

The mental side of jumping

Some really fun rapid fire questions toward the end!

Decker's advice to aspiring ski jumpers, "Remember why you're doing it; why you fell in love with it."

The final question: What's the greatest lesson you've learned through sport? "You get beat up pretty hard before you can succeed. I think that's probably the most valuable and hardest lesson I've had to learn."

As always, please share your questions, comments, feedback and requests. Go to sswsc.org! Now get out there and support, lead or be a champion on and off the mountain!