A Life in Transit 

Professional athletes hardly live normal lives. Constant travel makes it impossible to take to traditional methods to stay grounded. Routines must be portable and comforts accessible all over the world. What matters is what can move with them from country to country; start gate to start gate. 

For Kyle, food is a stabilizer. In a life structured around rigorous training and long travel days, fuel is a balancing factor and meals become scaffolding. “I’m the food guy – always planning where our next meal is gonna be as soon as we finish the last one.” Food is continuity. It marks time when days of practice blur together and locations switch faster than routines can be established.   

(Nina O'Brien returning home from Europe after 6 months of comps.)

Nina approaches a transient lifestyle with intense preparation. Similarly to how she preps for a race, Nina builds stability through readiness. “I’m an early bird and a bit of a team mom, but also the worst over-packer on the team. Don’t ask me how heavy my duffel bags are.”

Tricia thrives in the motion. She befriends efficiency, making it her own source of comfort. “I’m definitely an early bird…I kind of like to be rushed a little bit especially in the morning.”

Wiley, on the other hand, bucks embracing the early wakeups and finds peace in control. “I’m certainly not an early bird, but if we are driving and I have any semblance of control over who the driver is, then I’m the driver on the longest stretches.”

Our athletes take up different rhythms, but experience the same reality: a life in constant transit chasing their dream, normal simply has to be something you carry-on with you.  

(Away from racing, Tricia Mangan looks to "siblings, friends, biking, fun and food.")

Regulating the Noise 

Being in the limelight brings its own unique noise–crowds, expectations, opinions, even nerves. At the highest level of competition, intensity is the norm. Managing is the only way to be the best.

Kyle keeps things quiet. “I don’t really listen to music before I race, honestly…there’s enough nerves anyway at the top of a downhill so too much intensity is sometimes a bad thing for me.” Sometimes, clearing your head makes space for focus and strength. 

Tricia knows when she needs to dial her energy back, rather than up. “I sometimes struggle with getting too excited and too pumped up, so then I’ll listen to more techno music that doesn’t have lyrics…it kinda just keeps me focused.” 

For some, calm can only come from familiarity rather than hype. Nina is one of those people: “I listen to some of the least pump-up music before races – think Noah Kahan, Mt. Joy, Fleetwood Mac.”

Wiley keeps his pump up routine tucked away until it’s go-time. “I have a race playlist that I try to save only for racing. The first one on it is always ‘Cochise’ by Audio Slave.”

Each approach takes a different route with one common goal: strip away the noise so the skiing can speak for itself.  

(Negomir climbing in Zermatt, Switzerland.)

After the Finish 

After the helmet comes off and the adrenaline of a race fades, athletes return like everyone else to simple, everyday rhythms. Recovery can take many shapes–mentally and physically. 

Kyle seeks the same adventure he finds on the course outside of training. “We’ve started rock climbing on our off days…we can go have a big adventure while still giving our ski-specific muscles a day off.”  

Tricia explores her creative side. “I really love beading, making necklaces and bracelets for friends.”

Wiley prefers to slow down, Aspen local style. “I sleep in as long as I possibly can…get a few beers and dance to some live music…movies, books, Catan.”  

Nina leans back into rituals to unwind. “Too much coffee, a really good plain croissant, solving the New York Times Games and playing Spikeball with my teammates.” 

These moments, though a far cry from an Olympic podium or World Cup win, are crucial to sustaining performance. Without respite, a champion cannot prevail.  

If Not Skiing, Then What? 

Remove the sponsors and titles and a drive for adventure still remains. The most ambitious and intrepid athletes are drawn to a sport like skiing. 

Kyle always had his sights set on a north star. “I always need some ambitious goal to center my life around….skiing just happens to be that right now.”

Tricia would channel her grit into other athletic and professional pursuits. “I’d probably be working full time, more into endurance sports, and I would also live at the beach somewhere warm.”

Wiley’s curiosity bridges reality. “Surfing is wildly appealing…rock ‘n’ roll to a crowd…astronaut. Jedi.”

(Mangan taking a beat without plug boots on...)

Cortina is the destination on the map, but the build up, the years of practice and staying grounded through constant travel and competition is the point. The rituals, the relationships and the moments between start gates are where athletes are molded long before the finish line. 

(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.)