(Crescendo to Cortina is an episodic series following Aztech Mountain athletes Wiley Maple, Tricia Mangan, Nina O’Brien and Kyle Negomir on their path to the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina, Italy. Rooted in discipline and grit, this series focuses on the process of becoming the best. These stories are about the journey, not the destination.)

Episode 1 — Origins and Motivations

Elite athletes are often remembered for their greatest successes and failures. However, when you pry a little deeper, their stories are far more granular than the binary of winning and losing. Behind every champion is a lifetime of ambition and determination, only occasionally punctuated by triumph or loss.

“Some of my earliest memories were infused with the desire to be a professional athlete of some kind,” says Olympic hopeful Wiley Maple.

(Wiley Maple with the ski racing groms from Aspen—Sam Coffey is in the middle.)

The instinct to commit to something physically and mentally can be all consuming. The aspiration to become the very best version of yourself manifests long before any title or sponsor.

Tricia Mangan didn’t grow up with Olympic dreams, or even dreams of crossing a World Cup finish line. “I really didn’t know that the US Ski Team existed, or know about the World Cup.”

For Nina O’Brien, ambition was born early and far away from home. “I was 13 and moved from San Francisco to Vermont without knowing anyone, mostly because it sounded like an adventure,” she says.

The early stages of excellence aren’t about the ambition to be the best or win anything at all. They are about a pull to take life seriously and push what you are capable of, plus a willingness to be uncomfortable.

The Path to Professional

There’s a tendency in modern storytelling to mold people’s paths to success into uniform, clean arcs, negating any failure along the way. In reality, the lives of champions are far less linear.

Mangan was raised far outside of the circles of professional skiing. It never crossed her mind that she was the best, or even could be, even when she was winning.

O’Brien’s confidence stemmed from a rigorous schedule of repetition. “I realized that I genuinely enjoyed working hard, taking the extra run, and trying to make that last run my fastest.” There are no shortcuts if you want to be the best.

What connects them, and us, isn’t some far-fetched, god-given talent. It’s curiosity about something beyond themselves, their world and their comfort zone and a desire to work before there was something concrete to work for.

Negomir captures the shift in his mind after racing in the Junior World Championship in Switzerland: “Fast skiing wasn’t this abstract concept anymore that I put on a pedestal.” Once he conquered the mystery, his undying work ethic took over.

These athletes exist in the process, not at the finish line. The path to the top may look different for everyone, but it’s always paved with a grit and confidence that’s earned, not given.

Taking the Leap, Choosing Discomfort

The moments that change the trajectory of a life rarely seem notable when they pass.

For Maple, it was the moment he chose ski racing over other sports, a decision molded by intuition. “The winter sports that had a dash of speed seemed by far the most appealing,” he says.” He chose to chase a legacy, rather than fame and accolades.

For Negomir, it was bridging the gap between home and abroad. Competing against international competition at Junior Worlds forced a mental shift: “I realized that all these kids in Europe that you grow up hearing about aren’t any better than we are at home in the US.”

((Tricia offers a simple, but valid truth: 'You don’t ever know how capable you are." Here, Mangan is trenching turns circa 2015.)

Mangan’s breakout moment came after a monumental failure. At her national debut, “I got dead last in pretty much everything.” Rather than walk away in defeat, she returned to the competition the following year. “Anytime I was in the start gate, I thought to myself, ‘Okay, let’s see what we can do.’”

None of these athletes’ choices were chasing fame and fortune. Rather, they were rooted in the desire to see how far they could go no matter how foreign and uncomfortable it seemed.

Motivation That Isn’t Performative

Across all skiers, there’s a common love for the mountain that transcends reason. We travel hours, sometimes days, to experience the rush of carving down fresh corduroy or to slash fresh powder. Even in the lives of these athletes, there’s little talk of fame or validation. They are still people who simply love to ski like the rest of us.

Maple candidly admits the realities of skiing as a career: “The money and support ended up being wildly underwhelming…what I once thought a professional skier was, is quite different from the reality.” Still, the joy and enthusiasm remains.

Negomir paints a slightly different picture of the professional skier’s life: “Having the discipline and professionalism needed actually allows me the peace of mind to truly enjoy what I’m doing…then all that’s left to do is go ski and feel free.”

(Kyle Negomir's tuck was dialed long before Cortina...)

They don't announce themselves on the mountain. Rather, they simply show up, day after day, ready for whatever challenge the mountain might give, season after season.

Recognition Over Declaration

When reflecting on the trajectory of a life and a career, the easiest reference point is the very beginning – in our athletes’ case, their childhood.

“I think they’d [Maple as a child] be excited and proud…even still, I think I have remained true to the sport and the soul that resides in true skiers and mountain people,” Maple reflects.

When any of these athletes consider the bigger picture of their careers, they never leap straight to the medals, fame or prize pots. They don’t even describe a straight line to the top. What they do emphasize are the dividends hard work and grit pay in all areas of life – on and off the ski hill.

Kyle remembers that his younger self never could have imagined “the crashes and celebrations and injuries and near-retirements along the way.”

Tricia offers a simple, but valid truth: “You don’t ever know how capable you are.”

We aren't meant for everyone. We live for the skiers who value their legacy on the mountain, and want to be a part of one that’s roots run deep.

Sometimes, it’s best not to be announced. Just keep showing up.

(Nina O'Brien has been juicing speed out of terrain features for a long time...)