Description
CRAIG IS A FREERIDE SKIER REPRESENTING NZ AT AN INTERNATIONAL LEVEL
Hi, I’m Craig Murray and I am 18 years old. I am a freeride skier and have chosen to dedicate the next stage of my life to fulfilling my dream.
Brief History
I first got on a pair of skis when I was three years old and I have never looked back. It has been my number one passion since I became completely hooked around the age of 10.
I never choose Freeride Skiing, whenever I was on skis I always just did what I enjoyed most, what felt good, and whatever showed me the most love towards the two little sticks on my feet. Fast forward 10 years and I’m in competitions, learning so many new things about the sport and loving it more than ever.
Training:
I train up to 5 times per week to ensure I’m as strong, fit and prepared as possible. 3 of these are strengthening sessions in the gym and 1-2 are stretching and mental sessions focusing mainly on mindfulness and visualization.
This off snow training is super important for me because it means when it comes to on-snow competition time I’m healthy and strong, both mentally and physically, which means I’m feeling good on my skis. This is crucial because it gives you a very important and much-needed confidence boost leading up to a competition.
Moving Forward
After crashes and losses I have been broken physically and mentally over the years of competitive skiing.
However, my drive and determination are stronger than ever.
I have had a lot of success over the last year, winning NZ titles, as well as being crowned the 2016 Freeride Junior Champion after the final event in April in Switzerland.
It is now time for me to take the next step onto the World Qualifying Circuit to try and make it onto the World Tour. This has been my primary goal for a few years now and I finally have a chance to turn my biggest dream into a reality.
This past NZ winter I took out my first qualifying event, but if I am to pursue it, I have to make it over to the Northern Hemisphere winter for another 7 competitions.
Unfortunately, I cannot acquire the funding necessary to get to Europe for these international competitions and key qualifying events. I have been trying to earn money in every way possible including laboring, lawn mowing, and landscaping in my free time.
My parents and family have been amazing supporting me over the years and I will be forever grateful for it. However, they can no longer fund me financially, as I’m traveling outside of New Zealand now, my costs have become a lot more significant. I am raising some funds but will fall well short of what I need to get overseas, therefore, I require any assistance I can get to help me achieve my biggest goal.
I love New Zealand and am so proud represent our beautiful country.
Thank you so much for taking the time to learn about my journey, every dollar counts so please consider helping me no matter how big the donation.
Thank You New Zealand!
