How freediving fuelled skier Muir’s Olympic medal ambitions

Kirsty Muir, a Scottish freestyle skier, claims that her Olympic campaign success has been aided by taking the plunge in a quarry in Cornwall.

The 21-year-old has been selected for the 20-person snowsport team from Team GB for the February Olympics in Italy.

And if she can reach the Olympic podium position, an underwater challenge from last year on England’s south coast will have been a part.

Muir told BBC Scotland that “my coach Joe [Tyler] worked to organize a few freediving days.”

We began by practicing breathing exercises in a room on the floor before moving on to a static tub where we had to place the snorkel, which required you to remove and lie face down in the tub for a short while while trying to relax.

I spent three minutes in the tub before I could breathe again. My coach had already said, “Your lips are going blue,” as I got up.

Being brave is a trait you need because of the nature of freestyle skiing. Muir excels at it just as much as she did the third and final section of her freediving test.

We finished the quarry by going down a line, she said, “I believe it went about 15 to 17 meters down it.”

“It’s such a fascinating experience. You may have these unfounded fears and thoughts, but your body needs to relax. You can reset yourself and continue on your way without having to return to the surface.

The three-time World Cup gold medalist believes that the unconventional outing had valuable lessons to learn.

We have very much taken that into skiing and I think that has helped, she said, and it was really interesting to see how I performed more when I was more relaxed.

“It’s mind over matter, and I think I should make sure I get ready before my competition starts because I wouldn’t want to get too much pumped up.”

I really try to take deep breaths, focus on myself, mentally prepare for my run, be calm, and then leave.

Aberdonian Muir, 17, was Team GB’s youngest competitor at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Since then, a lot has happened.

She had a knee injury that nearly a year prior to which she also had shoulder surgery.

Muir has since returned to her skis, and she has produced a number of excellent results that have cementified her status as a watchdog.

You have those unpleasant thoughts and doubts about whether or not I’ll return after rehab, you say? Will I be able to fight back? Can I return to my current state? ‘”, she said.

“But I’m really pleased with how it turned out, and we actually came back stronger,” I said.

Muir has been surprised by how well she has performed since returning from injury, especially after breaking a thumb in December, despite being expected to do so.

She won the freeski slopestyle competition at the US Grand Prix in Aspen in January, earning her third World Cup victory since winning the Big Air World Cup at the Secret Garden in Zhangjiakou, China, in November.

Four years ago, the Scot made the finals of the women’s slopestyle (eighth) and big air (fifth), and it is not possible to place on the podium again.

She responded, “Absolutely, you have those thoughts.” “I believe it would be amazing, but I try not to dwell on it because I start to think too much, “remember that’s when I start to think things over.”