LOCALadk Magazine

Athletes | LOCALadk ANDREW WEIBRECHT Sport: Alpine Skiing Age: 28 Residence: Lake Placid, NY Favorite Place in the Adirondacks: Lake Placid (the lake) and the Ausable River Andrew Weibrecht, the Olympic bronze medalist in Alpine Combined (downhill and slalom) at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, grew up in Lake Placid and still calls it home. "I lived in Utah for a little while, but I came back seven years ago" says Weibrecht, an outdoorsman as well as a skier, "I love the area. I honestly can't think of many other places with so much access to the outdoors. I like camping, hunting, fishing, hiking and canoeing whenever I can. The Adirondacks are a great place for all of those things." Weibrecht made three trips to Utah last summer and fall to work with the U.S. Ski Team's strength and conditioning coach, but the Adirondacks are his principal training ground when he's not on snow. "Hiking and biking are a big part of my training, and I can use ORDA's and the Olympic Training Center's facilities," says Weibrecht, "Plus I'm at home. I don't feel like I'm on the road summer and winter." Tom Kelly/U.S.Ski Team Weibrecht's skiing career has had its ups and downs since he won his Olympic medal four years ago. After a couple of tough years due to injury and then sickness last winter. While his goals include qualifying for his second Olympics, more importantly he wants to become a consistent contender on the World Cup circuit again. "I want to get back in a position of confidence with speed and at the various venues," says Weibrecht, "I want to get consistency week to week. I don't feel a ton of pressure. I'm back to underdog status, which can be a good thing. My head's in a lot better place. My fitness is really strong. I switched to Head skis. All that gives me confidence." USSA Being in the Adirondacks has played a big role in Weibrecht's comeback plans in part for the variety the region offers. When he's not hiking up Mount McKenzie, he might be on a long bike ride near Saranac Lake. He finds the variety of outdoor options motivating rather than mundane. "I especially like getting off the beaten path with my dog," says Weibrecht, "I just love the vastness of the park. There's so much public land, but it's not like a national park. You don't need special permits. You can just start walking through the woods or paddle down a river. I like the wildness of the area. It just keeps going. It will take a lifetime to explore." LOCALadk Magazine Fall into Winter 2013 47

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