SKI CROSS: Injury is part and parcel of an elite sports career and often a circuit breaker that allows the athlete to refocus, build a stronger body and hone the mental skills necessary to succeed.
26-year-old Sochi Ski Cross Olympian Anton Grimus has learned that patience is a virtue after six meniscus surgeries to his right knee, the two latest in December 2016 and again last month.
“All is well,” Grimus said this week after completing his latest round of rehab. “I’ve learned patience. Stuff isn’t going to happen overnight and giving my knee time to fix itself has allowed me to focus on the finer points of rehab.”
“Knowing how your body works and moves is essential. I’m older and wiser about how I go about training now.”
With a return to snow scheduled for mid-August, Grimus spends the weekdays at the Victorian Institute of Sport training mornings and afternoons with OWIA strength and conditioning coach Will Morgan before heading home to Mt Buller on the weekends.
Grimus hits his mental reset button in the Victorian Alps as a keen lover of the bush and experienced trout fisherman. On the flip side, the competition stakes are high for the formidable looking ‘mountain man’ as an athlete on a mission.
“At times, it is frustrating because I just want to get out there and ski,” he said of being at home in Mt Buller most weekends. “It’s also good to have a break, sit back and focus on what you’re doing, why and where you are in your career.”
“I’m feeling better now than I was pre -op in June. The meniscus needed another clear out. If I do the work, take the time, it will all come together.”
Therefore, it’s back to patience but his sights are firmly set on PyeongChang next February for a better result than Sochi, where he finished 25th.
“I’m definitely more experienced and mentally mature (than prior to Sochi) and have a lot more information to build from,” he said.
In the meantime, Grimus’ competitive racing pulse has to be satisfied with an intense online PlayStation game of Battlefield with OWIA team mates Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin and Cam Bolton, which he says is “exhilarating”.
