13 Days Skiing with an Olympic Champion
IN JULY 2019 I was on a ski holiday with friends in the New Zealand ski resort of Cadrona when I met former Swiss alpine ski racer and Olympic Champion, Sandro Viletta.
Sandro’s professional skiing career included representation at two Olympic games and three World Championships, one World Cup victory and a gold medal in the Alpine Combined at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.
He had recently retired from professional alpine ski racing and been poached by a private client to help train a young Chinese athlete leading into the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. That winter he was in New Zealand with other European ski coaches who had travelled south to train their athletes.
In his travels down under, Sandro flew over the ditch and became a fan of Australia and the iconic kangaroo, sightseeing Sydney but not making it to the NSW Snowy Mountains. Over the months that ensued I formed a friendship with this warm-hearted Swiss man, and in February 2020 I was invited to visit the Engadin Valley in Switzerland.
The Engadin Valley, Switzerland
Skiing with an Olympic Champion? I was beyond nervous at this possibility. While I learnt to ski as a child and was a good skier with instructor qualifications, this ability was nothing compared to Sandro’s credentials. I set myself a fitness routine in the months leading into the trip so I could be in my best shape on the slopes.
During my holiday in Switzerland, I visited and skied the iconic snow resorts of St Moritz and Zermatt with an Olympic Champion. I enjoyed the massive terrain and long runs, the traditional Swiss food and I learnt to greet people with the Swiss German phase, “grizie”.
What struck me whilst skiing with Sandro was not just his precision (must leave the hotel at 7:59am) and skiing speed (straight down and fast was his style) but that he was not inclined to ski off-piste. While he shot down the hill like lightning, I followed making my way with some nice, controlled turns shooting off the groomed run for variation. The pleasure to ski off-piste seeking the thrill of soft snow and skiing through the trees, I believe makes us truly Australian.
I also visited Zinal, a charming mountain village and resort in the Valais canton. Zinal was a popular training location for alpine ski racers, and I accompanied Sandro, other coaches and their athletes on a training camp there.
The alpine ski training camp in Zinal Switzerland
Gates, gates, gates was often the theme of the day. I enjoyed the afternoon team runs and gym sessions and was told I had strong legs and would have made a good alpine skier.
This experience although in the past still sticks with me. Skiing with a former Olympic Champion gave me insight into the life of alpine ski racers and what goes on behind the scenes.
With the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics coming up in February, all eyes will be on our winter sports athletes as they compete for Olympic glory, and I will be thinking of them.
Where will you ski this coming overseas winter season? Perhaps it’s America, Japan, Canada or Europe. Always take your chances of a ski holiday with friends. You never know who you will meet on the mountain and have the chance to ski with.