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The Steep Stuff Podcast
#155 - Cam Smith
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A high-stakes relay, a new Olympic sport, and two athletes who refused to blink. We sit down with Cam Smith to unpack how he and Anna Gibson qualified Team USA for the ski mountaineering mixed relay—beating Canada when it mattered most—and how an underdog mindset became their superpower. Cam’s story delivers a rare inside look at Olympic prep when your sport is making its debut: recruitment gambles, selection races, and the art of saying no to media so you can say yes to training.
Cam explains how he recruited Anna, why her track speed and mountain grit were a perfect fit, and how selection races turned a bold idea into a winning relay. He breaks down the Solitude World Cup from the inside: crisp transitions, a key pass from fourth to first, and the calm second lap that sealed it. We dive deep into training specificity—ankle weights matched to ski system weight, start cadence rehearsal, treadmill intervals with race film study—and how peaking for a three-to-four-minute burst mirrors track more than trail. Expect practical takeaways on race craft, pacing under pressure, and building systems that protect performance when the spotlight gets hot.
We also demystify Olympic logistics and gear rules: national kits with strict logo sizes, manufacturer-only markings on helmets and poles, and equipment checks that may lock your gear pre-race. Cam offers a candid view on seeding, the wide first climb, and why a second-row start isn’t a problem. He shares the mantra anchoring his approach—“Expect nothing, handle anything”—and looks ahead to the likely addition of the individual event in 2030, where his engine can really sing.
If you’re curious about ski mountaineering, or you love stories of process beating pressure, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share with a friend who thrives in big moments, and leave a review to help more people find the show. Then tell us: what’s your favorite underdog win?
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Welcome back to the Steep Stuff Podcast. I'm your host, James L'Oriello. And today I am so excited to welcome Cam Smith back to the show. The pride of Crest Debute was kind enough to come on and chat all things winter Olympics. That's right, Cam and teammate Anna Gibson are gonna be competing in the Winter Olympics at Milana Cortina at the mixed relay discipline of ski mountaineering in just a few weeks, which is kind of crazy. This was a great conversation. We talked about the recruitment and selection of Anna Gibson and how that team kind of came to be. We got into uh some particulars for USA Schemo and kind of how that team was formed, the selection process for both Cam and Anna to be able to race at Solitude, and then we talked about the race itself. Um we got into kind of mindset space for Cam and how he was able to lock in and perform at such immense pressure. Um and then finally we got into the Olympics and we talked about where Cam's at now, kind of in his uh preparation phase, if you will, racing a few uh World Cup races and uh in process to get himself ready for uh the big dance that's gonna be at the end of February. I think it's February 21st, somewhere in that range. Um yeah, it was a super fun conversation. Really appreciate Cam for his time, and uh I am just you know such a big fan and we'll be chairing for him. I hope you guys enjoyed this episode. And uh without further ado, Cam Smith. Hamps, it's myth. Welcome back to the Steep Stuff Podcast. How are you, my friend? It's good to see you.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, James. It's great to see you. Yeah, never better, man. Yeah, pumped to be on this journey and um yeah, just a few weeks away from the the big show.
SPEAKER_00:The big show, the big show. Dude, it's always so fun having these conversations. Last time you and I chatted, I think it was uh I think it was like just before worlds, and obviously that's a the biggest one of the biggest stages in mountain running. And now since then, your life has uh gotten significantly busier and changed a lot, as now you are going to be uh headed to the Olympics. So I the the first question I gotta ask you is like, how how are you feeling, man? Like how uh is it a little weird at this point? Like I like you go from the biggest stage of mountain running now to the biggest show of your life. Uh like how how have things changed for you as far as your thoughts and things for for life right now?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it's it's been really eye-opening for sure. Of part of the the appeal to to going for worlds in the running season was to kind of prep for the the high pressure situation of like trying to qualify for for the Olympics and everything. And um there was never really any thought of like what would happen after. It was always just like this one day that we knew that the qualification would come down to, and there was like zero planning from a training perspective, and there was like a good amount of logistics done like on my behalf, but like I didn't look into anything at all. Like I didn't know like the dates of the races, I had no idea like any of the kind of ins and outs and minutiae of doing this whole thing. Um, and then we like qualified of course, and then things had yeah, like the world's been upside down ever since. Like um, yeah, just like crazy amounts of kind of um like media and logistics both. And it's required a lot of like organization, which is not my strong suit. So it's probably been like a really good experience for me in that way of like making a personal calendar and um like learning how to yeah, balance it all and and budget it all and kind of see how much I can handle. And like it was like fun for a little bit to like, oh, everyone's so excited and fun to like share that excitement. And then when it got to the point where like, whoa, all this extra stuff is actually like affecting my preparation, then um, yeah, kind of got serious about yeah, managing it all better and um yeah, kind of learning every day. And it's it's been fun to be in it with Anna too. Like, I mean, she's obviously like such a high profile and high achieving athlete, and like um before this had so many experiences that like I didn't necessarily have, and then so and then she's just like so like sharp and smart in addition to the athlete that she is, that it's been really cool to be in it together and just like text and call each other about like, whoa, like isn't it crazy that we're talking to so and so, or like, whoa, did you see this email about this crazy thing we gotta do?
SPEAKER_02:And yeah, to kind of like go through it all together. It's been kind of fun.
SPEAKER_00:It's interesting to me because you, I mean, you go from I don't know, it's just been really fun following your journey. We started off where you and I first had the conversation kind of coming back from both ACL and then the shoulder injury, and we kind of roll into this 2025 year and just things have changed so much. Dude, I was amazed. Like when you sent me your your calendar, I was like, oh my god, like how how how are you able to train and still like get in all this media stuff? And then I'm sure like obviously, you know, you have coaches involved and and they want you to start getting ready to peek for performance and stuff like that. Like how I guess my question is is like how have you been able to uh manage it all? Because I I I don't think people realize just like how many um media entities and just folks kind of want a piece of you now, in a sense.
SPEAKER_01:Totally. Yeah, like initially I was just kind of like taking things as they came and like trying to just keep up. And I was like, oh, as soon as I go to Europe, then I'll it'll be like harder to get a hold of me because then I'll only have availability for a few hours in the evening, at least for like US space folks. And so I was like, oh, like it'll get so much easier once I get there, which was sort of true, but um now it's just like a little more dense. Um, so yeah, like at first, like I was trying to do it on my own and kind of struggling, and then I had like a free trial with a Calendly account, and that helped a lot. And then when that expired, I was like, okay, I'll just like recreate it on a Google Sheet, and then that's what you saw. And yeah, just kind of making systems for everything, and then um trying to figure out like what I want to do and and what I have to say no to. Like essentially it's gotten to the point where it's like like the we've sort of said all the same things in a lot of places, like whether it's written or video or audio. And so, like a lot of times when someone wants to like talk to Anna or I, it's like, well, like this is all out there and it's in like the associated press, for example. So, like any other outlet can pick it up and just like reproduce the story. Um, and like a lot of these kind of like intricate details I learned from Anna's agent, Kelly Newland, who also chatted with me for a little bit just to like out of the goodness of her heart, just to like help me being a deer in the headlights, trying to figure this all out. Um, so yeah, talking to her helped a lot and just kind of like understanding those um yeah, pieces like that. And it's kind of like because of that situation, we're trying to like just talk to like major news outlets and friends, which which you're both of, so great.
SPEAKER_00:Um as a friend.
SPEAKER_01:Totally. Like I was laughing before this, like um, I was talking to my wife Lynn and she was like, Oh, what are you doing um this evening? And I was like, Oh, it's deep stuff. And then I actually like double booked CNN in the New York Times for right afterhand. Um, so I had to tell CNN to um reschedule, and she was just like, This is ridiculous. Like, yeah, it's because I mean it's a new sport, like everyone wants like to cover that story, right? Like it's a noteworthy part about the Olympics, is there's this new sport that the whole world's gonna get introduced to, and then um yeah, the US is part of it, so it's definitely kind of gotten some traction that that I didn't expect.
SPEAKER_00:So crazy. So it's funny, man. I I I just was talking to Michelino recently because he he's famous in a in a little bit of a different way with his presidential pardon and stuff like that, but he's convinced we like live in a simulation because like he goes from one day just being this guy to being more or less famous. You with the same in the same breath, but in a different way, by being really the first you and Anna will be kind I I would say more so in in the modern era, the first mainstream trail runners, professional trail runners. I I think Scott Patterson was in the Olympics as well. I I I I wouldn't have to be a good thing. Yeah, he did a few. That's right, that's right. Okay, so more, but in the in the modern area, as far as pro trailrunners go, you guys will be the first. Like, how has that like changed your framework and mindset in a lot of ways? Like like have you sat down to like really soak it in yet to be like, like, oh my god, like this is actually happening? Like, has it like reframed the way you almost like mentally approach things, right? Like you tell yourself you believe that you can achieve this thing, and then you go and actually do it, and it's like, oh my gosh, like now I gotta go perform at the biggest stage of my life. Like, how uh does it make you believe you can go get a medal? Like, how do I know you can't you don't want to give anything away as far as that goes, and I don't think you can um as far as like predictions and stuff like that, but at the same time, like how has that reframed your your brain as far as like being able to achieve things in life?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that's a great question. And I mean, like, first of all, as far as the ultimate reality, I definitely get that sense pretty frequently. Like um, like Snoop Dogg is an unofficial, or I think official coach for Team USA at the Olympics, and then I just opened my email today, and there's like a video message of him like congratulating, like, oh, congrats on not to Ana and I, but to like every athlete. And I texted her, like, what is going on? Like, what are we doing? And there's like baking equipment, like kind of like dirty like baking equipment in front of him on this table that like there's no reference to. And Snoop Dogg is just like talking to us about like congratulations on this, like, we want to make sure you feel supported. Like, let's go team USA. And I'm like, what? What are we watching? Like, what's going on right now? Um, and there's been a lot of like moments like that of like, you know, what what is happening? Um but I mean it's the same kind of style of competition and same way we prepare, you know. Like at the end of the day, like it's just a race with a big parade, and it's really fun because it has reached further than a lot of what we've done before, but like as far as the way we're training and preparing of it's it's literally the same of like we we're following the same systems and um yeah, like just trying to show up and do our best. And I think that Anna and I as a team like succeeded at Solitude because of that, of really just focusing on ourselves and um and just trying to yeah, race at our highest level, and and the moment wasn't too big for us then, and I don't think it'll be too big for us next month either if we're just out there to perform our best. And um, it'll be interesting too because it'll be new for everyone. Like everyone's a first-time Olympian on the start line because it's a new sport, so like we're kind of all in it together in that sense. But um, yeah, I mean, I I don't feel anything kind of extraordinary about prepping for the race of it's just like what we um yeah, what we both do.
SPEAKER_00:Business as usual. Do you feel like because especially because you were more or less the 12th team in kind of bubble, and then you go to Solitude, and we'll talk about solitude, and and you have this, you and Anna have this dominant performance there. Do you feel like almost like an underdog mentality? Is that is that kind of the way you approach it?
SPEAKER_01:For sure. I mean, like we were just fighting to to get in, and then I think a lot of teams took notice the way that we won at Solitude and the way that we raced there, and and to to win and win with a good margin of it definitely got the attention of a lot of other teams, and and that news has kind of like trickled back to us of like, oh, I heard this coach saying this and this athlete saying that, of like, watch out for the Americans, and and that's fun and exciting for sure. But um, I mean I I still think on paper we're we're underdogs and um like we're still yeah, kind of fighting and scrapping just for like our place to compete against those top teams and and we prefer it that way of being the underdogs, but um yeah, I still think we're absolutely capable of of achieving anything out there. I mean, like we both race our best in the biggest moments and with the most pressure, and and I think we'll continue to get better and and we're focused on that. And when the race comes, I really think anything can happen. So um yeah, it's nice to to still be the underdog, but yeah, people are definitely watching up for us more than they they were.
SPEAKER_00:Um it's funny. I was talking to Tom Hooper the other day, and I guess Sean he what he he said something about Sean White being called the flying tomato. I guess because he's like, What do we call Cam? I was like, I don't know. We gotta get a uh we gotta get a moniker for you. Um I wanna I want to shift gears and talk about Anna a little bit. I know when you and I did our pre-worlds chat, um, Anna was thrown in the mix and we were able to do it together uh in in a in the that kind of format. And it was really cool because it was kind of the first time for the world that you kind of were letting the world know that Anna was in the mix with you and and there was this plan uh to start training and she was getting to be a part of USA Schemo. And I I if you wouldn't mind, can you tell the story? Because I know you had talked about on Buzz's podcast um you know how Lynn had a lot of input. I thought it was really cool as far as you could if you could have anyone, who would it be? So maybe maybe tell that story. I think that's really cool.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so I mean, basically that had been a conversation for years of like what other athletes are out there because it's a new sport. So what crossover athletes are we gonna get? Male, female, like runners, cyclists, Nordic skiers, alpine skiers, rock climbers, whatever. Like who else is out there that might go for this? Because um the Olympics is probably gonna draw in a lot of different talent and like new athletes, and like there's been speculation for years and years, and like one of the names that I always brought up was Anna. I'm like, where's our like track all American that's also like a mountain athlete? And that's kind of always been like Anna to me. Um, and then like I never heard from her regarding schemo, and I was like, okay, like she's clearly thought about it because like she knows about the sport and um and hasn't reached out, so like, yeah, she's staying focused on being one of the best runners in the world, and like I totally respect that, and that was just sort of where my assumption was. And then going into this summer, we knew that we basically had like a do-or-die race this Solitude World Cup in December to to qualify for the Olympics, and so like it really was right there in front of us, and it went back to like okay, what other athletes are out there? Like, how can the team get better in any possible way? Because we were so close with the teams we were competing against, mainly Canada. Um, and it's like, how can we like change the situation at all? Like, how can we add any talent? How can we get better with the people that we have? How can we do anything? And and then Anna's name really kind of like resurfaced having those conversations. But because of what I mentioned, like I was sort of afraid to like bring it up to her because I'm like, well, clearly she's thought about this and and she hasn't reached out because again, like she has this whole different career track. Um, so I was like really nervous to bring it up, and I was like, I'll just wait to do it in person because it'll be easier there, which is gonna be at Centipee, and then the weekend kind of came and went without getting that chance because we were both obviously really focused before the race, and then afterwards it was like rainy and wanted to get out of there, and like I just didn't bring it up to her. And then so I get home and Lynn's like, okay, have the conversation gone. I'm like, Ah, I didn't talk to her. She's like, Why, if you think there's any chance of Anna joining the team and making the team better in any small way, like, why would you not try? Like, you care about this more than anything in the world. Like, why would you like leave this opportunity on the table? I'm like, Yeah, yeah, you're right, you're right. So, like, I'll she was like, call her right now. I'm like, no, no, like I'll wait till Broken Arrow, which is three weeks later. Um, but she was like really pushing me about it. Um, and again, yeah, like I was just hesitating because I was like, this is a crazy idea, like, why would she want to do this? And then um talk to her at Broken Arrow, and then over the next few days at Trailcon, and basically like the big conversation was like just pitching the position that we were in and saying that we're one race away from qualifying, and it's the first time the sport's in the games, and this would mean a lot to the Federation, mean a lot to like the sport in the US, mean a lot to the sport globally, and I think you'd be awesome at it. And like, I just I want you to be my teammate, and let's go for this. And like she had no guarantee that she would be named to the team, which she was a dis as a discretionary selection, no guarantee she would race at solitude, no guarantee we would win, no guarantee we she would be selected if we earn that spot. So like it was all hypothetical, but she was just like game to see what would happen. And she like was just sold on that excitement and like, yeah, that golden opportunity right in front of us, and unfortunately said yes, and she can speak more to like what the details were like around that. Like, I know she talked to a lot of the people in her life and and wavered on a little bit. Um, because it is a big risk and it is a big change for someone that is having such a successful career in another sport. Um, and so it's just wild that she like had the courage to give it a shot and she was rewarded with the opportunity of a lifetime. So I'm just yeah, really psyched that um that she is who she is.
SPEAKER_00:That's so interesting, man. Especially because like, I don't know, you're it takes a very special athlete. I mean, I know she has a dense background in skiing and and like growing up where she grew up and things like that, and just her background in general is crazy. Plus, she has an insane engine. But just uh it takes a very special athlete to be able to step into those shoes and be able to do that, to handle that pressure and to do all of these things. And obviously we'll we'll have her on and get her take on it. But I I one of the things I've always talked about about Anna, and I I guess like as far as compliments-wise, I've always like thrown her away, is that I don't think we really know how good Anna is yet. I I still think that she's kind of young in her career still, and I think like she has a just an opportunity to be probably one of the greatest mountain runners of all time, and as well now with with the ski mountaineering, like there's a whole new world opened up to her, which is really unique. It's cool, it's very neat.
SPEAKER_01:Totally. Yeah, I mean, she's like the total package as far as like athletic skills, and that is also just like such a killer on the course and like has such a strong mental game that I was like, man, like this is just someone that I want on our team, whether she becomes my relay partner or not. And like there's no guarantee that I was racing in that relay either. Like, we have a bunch of other really strong men. Um, so like they're all hypothetical, but it was just like I want her around, like she's just the kind of person that like when she's around, the the team would uh would be better for it. So yeah, we're we're lucky that she has gained a game to try.
SPEAKER_00:Heck yeah, man. Can you can you tell a story? I I mean you and I talked about this in the past, and I think you had vocalized it on the podcast, but I don't think we got the true story of the selection before Solitude. How it came to be that you and Anna would be the mixed relay team that would be racing.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so essentially there's in the Olympics, there's the sprint mixed relay, and so you can qualify via either event, but our chance as a country was much higher, um, or really like only had any chance via the mixed relay, because there's 12 athletes that qualify via the mixed relay and six via the sprint essentially. So you have to be like one of the six best sprinters in the world, and we just didn't have one of those. And and when I keep saying we, it's like you have to earn a quota spot as a nation, and then you can decide who fills that quota spot later. But with Schemo being new to the Olympics, it's really small. Those athlete quotas are really small. The amount of medals they can give out and like disciplines and races that they can have is really small because you're a new sport and you're fighting for room at the table, basically. So um that was that situation of we needed to have a strong relay team to earn this qualification spot. We were sitting 13th out of the 12 nations that made it. It's a little bit more complicated than that because um there's continental quotas. So uh, like Australia, for example, um was the only team in Oceania, so like they were in, like um same with, or like not same, but like there has to be a team from China, there has to be a or a team from Asia, of course, excuse me. There has to be a team from Asia, which was China, but they um were really high up in the rankings anyway. And there has to be a team from the Americas, North and South America. Um, so it was Canada and the US basically competing for that spot, but we were also like right on the bubble for like that last team in anyway. But basically that's where we were at. And so the team needed to find out who the best male and best female would be in this mixed relay discipline to secure those few more points that we needed and then um yeah, go to the Olympics. So it was essentially like US versus Canada. It was close enough points-wise that just whichever team finished ahead of the other at this last race would qualify. The other likely wouldn't. Now, in retrospect, um, we see that it would have been possible for both of us if um, yeah, both nations had just been a couple places higher, but like no one expected us to win races at the World Cup anyway. Um, yeah, so that's essentially the setup. And so the team needed to find that male and female athlete. And they had selection races two weeks before and just ran a mock relay essentially that was a little bit modified for low snow and like timing um uh kind of logistics, but just took the male and female with the fastest cumulative times from there and put them in the relay together. So that ended up being Anna and ISO. She was named as a discretionary selection to the US team just based off of her resume, basically. And then that gave her the opportunity to just participate in these training camps and participate in the selection race, and then she really earned it by um throwing down at that selection race, which then I raced well at as well. So then we became the team for the let's go.
SPEAKER_00:Gotcha, gotcha. Dude, and what's crazy is that like you guys are both just getting better and better as time goes on, which is kind of nuts too. I mean, especially on Ana's side, as she's starting to relearn all these skills and work through these skills as well. Whereas obviously you live this, so you know, you're obviously continuing to work on it and work on it and things like that. It's interesting. Let's get it, let's get into solitude. So obviously that's one of the big dances before the Olympics. It's a really important day for you. Uh, you go and have arguably the race of your life there, dude. Like absolutely insane. Maybe you can just talk about um how the race unfolded for you, um, kind of how maybe the mixed relay works or that race kind of played out with Anna. Um, and maybe just give the play-by-play by that.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, sure. So we were racing for those stakes that we just talked about of like basically beat Canada and you're in or lose and you're out. But Anna and I really, really emphasized to each other and ourselves that we were just trying to race the best that we could. And there was so much, I mean, pressure from from outside on this performance. And and essentially to deal with that, we were like, well, like there's so many people that have put money, time, effort, their careers into this team and federation, and so many people that did the same to like host this race, and so many people that have done the same to support us as athletes individually. And like, really, all any of those people want to see, and the reasons that they all did what they did for us was just because they wanted to see us race our best and like be on the journey. And like sometimes you put all that effort in and it doesn't work out. But if you execute in a way that that you can be proud of, then it's all worth it. And you like, yeah, you just might get beat by another team, right? So we were just really focused on having that race of one that all these people can be like proud of and and and proud that they put that effort in to put us in that position. And then same with us personally. So we're really just focused on executing a race, the two of us. So we go to qualify, and you have a qualification round before the the final, and most teams kind of like rest their top athletes essentially and try to like make it into the final with spending as little energy as possible. But um, our team's strategy, which um we can go down a rabbit hole there, was they wanted us to continue racing each other to find out who the best team was going to be on that day, too. So Ana and I had to go fast in qualification, but then we ended up with the fastest time of the day, and we were the number one seed going into the final. So that was kind of a fun boost, at least. Um and then we had a break while the B final ran essentially. And what was really exciting about that is that American teams went first and second in the B final, which was like totally unprecedented, right? Of like we never win at anything, whether it's the B final or the A final or whatever. Um, but to see our teammates kind of throw down there, it's like wow, like this home field advantage like really does make a difference, and like the team's on fire, and and it just showed like how far we had come as a group, and this was all before Anna and I even took the start line, so that kind of got us pumped up. And then we like walk out to race, the gun goes off, and Anna's doing her thing, and I'm just like continuing to focus on my uh my warm-up here.
SPEAKER_02:I'm gonna pause for a second.
SPEAKER_01:Um, I don't know if you can still yeah, cool. I still see you moving. I'm just gonna wait until the circle goes away. Okay, cool. It looks good to me now. Um sweet. Yeah, so then um the gun goes off, Anna starts racing, and I just go back to my warm-up routine, and I'm not watching her go at all and not paying any attention to what's going on in the race and just kind of focus on getting myself in position. Um, and then I go over to essentially receive the handoff and I start to see like where all the other teams are. And I see Canada in first, which is a small problem because we need to finish ahead of them. And then a couple other teams, and we got tagged off and forth. But like I knew that Anna was having a really good day. Like she was right in position and like looking really good. And so when she comes up to me, she's like cheering for me and like encouraging me, and I'm like telling her how great she had just done. So we're like, we're not in the position we need to be, but we're still like having fun and like talking to each other and lifting each other up because we knew that we were racing the way that we needed to. So like we didn't know if we were in 12th, first, what any other team was doing. It was just like totally us focused on ourselves. And you could really see that, I think, in the way other athletes raced. Like the the Canadian guy, honestly, for example, was like you can see him on the live stream like looking at me the whole time and like trying to box me out and do this, do that, and like totally like focused on like I need to beat this athlete when I was just focused on like I need to race my best. And I think that that kind of shows in the way that the race played out from there, because you need to be so focused and dialed in during these transitions and during these downhills and execute it all with such precision when like all this is kind of on you and happening, and like the race went really smooth for Anna and I. And then you could see like as the race situation continued to change and like we took the lead, then you could like see panic kind of happening in some of those other racers. So I think it's really a testament to like where other nations were racing us, like we were just focused on ourselves, and I think that's part of why things went so smoothly. But basically, I'm kind of like jockeying back and forth on the first climb, first descent, um, make a pass in the bottom transition to go from fourth to first, which was pretty wild, and then just kind of like turned on the jets from there and poured it on a little bit. And then what's harder to see on the live stream, but you can really see in the splits, is that where we really like honestly kind of buried the other teams is then when Anna took the handoff for her second lap and she had an amazing second round, like she had just paced herself really well on that first lap. And again, like just goes to show like we didn't panic, we stayed calm, like Anna paced herself the way that she knew that she needed to. I just kind of focused on making my moves when I needed to, and and because of that, like when we were behind, we were focused, when we were ahead, we were focused, and we just like stayed locked in regardless of the race situation, and then just kind of ran with it from there and and yeah, crossed the line in first. So I think it was just like a really kind of good anecdote of where our mental games were, and then kind of like a pretty clear example of how it all played out on the course.
SPEAKER_00:It's so interesting. And I dude, I feel like I don't know, we we talked about this before, um, like in the lead up with worlds and stuff like that. Like one of the things you had said to me was, I just want to keep putting myself onto the biggest stages with the highest competition, so I feel ready, feel relaxed, and and feel prepared. And honestly, dude, I think that mindset like really worked because you show up at the stage where the stakes are the highest, you don't crumble, you don't fold, and you you dominate. I mean, like really that's the I think that's the best word to put towards it is dominate. Um and it's just interesting because if you could carry that same that that at least that mind game, that game with you into the next level that you'll be going to, like that I mean, at least put you in the right space for success, regardless of what goes down. You know, like I don't know. I just find that really interesting that you some people get into these big moments and the pressure's too much for them, and you blossomed in it, which is pretty cool.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I mean, those are the situations I look forward to the most. And and Anna has shown that she's the same kind of athlete. And so yeah, I think the bigger the stage, the the better we're gonna feel. And um yeah, I mean, that's just who we are, and so I'm really excited to yeah put that to put that to task.
SPEAKER_00:In the lead up to Solitude, um, I've heard that you were doing some like really interesting training. Like you got on the treadmill at points, like you projected the course. Um, can you talk a little bit about that? You learned the, I think it was at the the specific grade you were putting ankle weights on and doing stuff like that on the treadmill. Can you talk a little bit about like how dialed you got for this one specifically?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so because this race was happening in early December and on a low snow year like we're having in the Western US, it was really a game of like dry land preparation, right? Where normally your biggest races happen in February and March and April when you've been skiing all winter. This one was like, how well can you get prepared before the snow falls, basically? So that was the huge challenge ahead of us was to be at peak form very beginning of winter off of that dry land training. So I was trying to make that as specific and as demanding as possible. And part of that was carrying that kind of edge from running season a little bit later into late September with worlds, and then it was just trying to make the ski-specific training as specific as possible. So yeah, I was like doing workouts with ankle weights that weighed the same as my skis, boots, binding skins, minus the weight of my running shoes, for example, like trying to like make that um feel exactly the way that it would with skis on. I'm just doing a bunch of super high intensity, like most of my intervals happened on a slope that takes about 12 seconds to climb up. It was like a 30-foot slope. Um, and just like doing a bunch of workouts on that with poles and these ankle weights, and like simulating the amount of time that I have in between um rounds of the mixed relay and um simulating the start too. So like my watch would beep at me to start each interval, and I had it set to like the same kind of cadence of the um like the start line of a World Cup of like the same silent set go so that it was like I did that start a few hundred times basically in intervals over the course of just those few months before the World Cup. And then yeah, like some good hard gym work and um some intervals on the treadmill while while I would like watch replays of past years races and a lot of just kind of reflection and focusing on um yeah, what I needed to do to be in position and yeah, just specificity as much as possible. Roller skiing, which I've I've always um yeah, thumbed my nose at and tried to avoid as much as possible and had never done until this summer. Uh, but doing a bit of that just to kind of get the rhythm and balance and arm strength and all that. Um yeah, so I was really just trying to make it as specific as possible.
SPEAKER_00:Interesting. Interesting. I mean, this is um maybe two in the weeds, but peaking for a race like that, is it similar to like running where like uh obviously you're doing certain you know threshold work, you're doing like it's obviously this is a very anaerobic, I would guess, uh effort, right? Like you're going all out on this. But as far as like peaking and getting all that dialed in, is it similar to running where it's like a you'll you'll go into a full taper and you'll have just be fresh, or do you still have some stuff in the legs so the legs remember what it feels like to climb and things like that? Like how's kind of the peaking process for a race like that?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I suppose in that sense it's like more similar to track racing.
unknown:Okay.
SPEAKER_01:Where uh it's short and intense, it's high quality, and then you're not doing a ton of hyper focused work outside of those track sessions. Right? Like you just need to recover and keep those sessions hard and high quality and specific to the race that you're training for. So there's that general period where you're building fitness and doing more volume and just trying to get fit. Um, but then as we're getting closer to these races, it's more just like really nailing these like two or three workouts a week. Um, so yeah, I'd probably compare that more to like a track runner than uh a trail runner.
SPEAKER_00:Gotcha. Gotcha. All right. This is completely out of left field, but being an Illinois guy, and I know it's before you posted uh before the race, I think you put like uh it was like the Bulls music, like from the Georgians. Um are you a big uh Michael Jordan guy? Like are you a big Bulls like fan? Like how how like where does that that kind of come from?
SPEAKER_01:For sure, yeah. I mean, I I grew up in Illinois and so just a big Chicago sports fan of of whatever team is is playing at that time, yeah, whatever sport, whatever um yeah, era we're in. Like, yeah, I just like my Chicago sports teams. And I was at the time like re-watching all the last dance documentaries on Netflix, and just like when you hear that beat of the Bulls walkout music, I think like anyone that saw that happen in the 90s or like has been a Bulls fan since or watched those documentaries, like gets that same like chill and sense of like, oh, it's like game time when they hear that same same music. So yeah, I just I don't know, it gets me pumped up. So yeah, I I posted it and people thought it was funny, and then people were like playing it on speakers and stuff on the start line and everything.
SPEAKER_02:And yeah, I thought it was kind of a fun little so awesome.
SPEAKER_00:Uh is that what's your I mean, like, I don't know. Like, do you do you listen to hype up music but like before a race? Like, I don't know if in regards to like running or schema, like are you do you have music going like ahead of time?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I often don't for like throughout running races because they don't need to be super amped up for the start line. Like the harder I go in the first five minutes, probably the worse I'm gonna do during that race, but like gym sessions and like super high intensity interval days, and then these really short races, yeah. I like to have some hype for sure.
SPEAKER_00:I like it. I like it. All right, let's let's talk Olympics really quick. I just have like gear questions and and stuff like this and some logistical things. Um, the first question I have is around like the mixed relay. So folks are gonna be able to watch that on February the 21st. And then obviously, I think it's what is it, the the 19th will be the sprint uh the sprint days. But for the mixed relay, one thing I didn't notice on the calendar, it how does the structure work? Like, is there another qualification for the mixed relay like final, or is it just like everybody just goes on this one day for the mixed relay and like that's the competition?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, for this one in particular, there's no qualification around because there's 12 teams that made it into the Olympics and there's 12 teams in a final. So they could hold it just to like seed us on the start line, but instead they're just gonna use ranking points for that. Uh, so we even though we're number one for the current World Cup season, since we won the only race, we're I think tied for eighth uh with China in the like full qualification period long ranking. So that's what they're gonna use to see that. So yeah, we'll be somewhere in the middle of the second row, but yeah, there's no qualification around for the relay itself.
SPEAKER_00:Being in the middle of the second row, is that like a is that it like a huge detriment? Or is that like I mean, I know with skiing, it's significantly different from running, where you gotta running it's pretty easy to just get in front of somebody, but for being on skis, it's does that set you back a little bit? Like what what's what's what's your mental space on that?
SPEAKER_01:No, I think it'll be good actually. And that's really only Anna's starting position, because then I just get tagged off from whatever position that she comes through in.
unknown:Okay.
SPEAKER_01:Um, and she I think is in a perfect spot. Like she um will be right in the middle, so she'll be able to move right or left, and then she'll be behind the fastest athletes because they'll be in the middle of that front row. And um, yeah, I I think it's a yeah, perfect little spot to be in. It would be an issue if it like went to single track quickly, but the first climb of the Olympic course is pretty wide open um the whole way. So it'll be easy passing, and and if anything, it'll just like keep Anna from needing to spring too hard right away. So yeah, it's it's a really, really small detail and uh yeah, not something we would be worried about anyway, but if we were to worry about it, I'd say we're in yeah, a perfect little position.
SPEAKER_00:Very cool, very cool. I now I have a gear question for you. Like, how does it work with them? Like, obviously, your sponsor is Dinafit, and I'm sure normally you're wearing Dinafit stuff. Uh and then obviously there's USA Schemo gear and stuff like that. How does it work with the gear itself? Does it have to be all according to the Olympic standard? Did they give you stuff from USA Schema? Like that has to be a certain weight and everything. Like, how does all that work?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that's part of like the hours and hours and hours of like logistics and reading and like e learning courses that we've gone through that like I'm not nearly done with. Um and so like I guess an easy way to think of it is it's a similar situation. Like, normally Normally on the World Cup to like the mountain running and trail running worlds teams, where like Nike's the sponsor, we're only gonna wear Nike while we're at Worlds, and they expect that because they're supporting the team. Um, but then like you can have your own shoes, your own sunglasses, your own things that like Nike doesn't make, for example. Um, but for that stuff, other than the shoes, like sometimes there's rules about like, yeah, you can wear your North Face vest or whatever, but it can't have a logo on it, so you just gotta like tape over it and stuff. So there's a lot of weird things like that that happen at like Trail Running Worlds. And then schema is similar. So like we have our national team kit, which is all Sportiva, so they make all of our apparel, our skin suit. Um, that's all new this year. It was Dinafit before, so it made it a lot more simple for me. Um, but then the Olympic suit uh can't have as big of logos as the World Cup suit has. So they have to make another custom USA suit. Um, and this was all like planned over the spring and summer. Like, okay, if they qualify, then we're gonna like rapid produce this like special suit that's basically like just the stars and bars, kind of a different colorway. Um, we're kind of like flipped, like our legs are blue and our tops are a little more like white and red, and and it's a nice look. And then it still has a Sportivo logo on it, but it has to be a lot smaller than the regular ones are. So yeah, just kind of like interesting little minutiae like that. And then we can wear our our same hard goods, so like my same Dinafit helmet, poles, gloves, backpack, all that good stuff. But I cannot have any additional stickers on it. So like I can't put like an auxiliary sponsor, or like even if it was my biggest sponsor, like like Anna could not put a Brooke sticker on her skis, for example. Like it can only be the manufacturer logo, and and those logos have to be under a certain size. And then once we get to the games themselves, you like get all your gear checked. Is it like fitting all these regulations? Is it fitting the regulations that the International Federation for Schemo has? Like certain weight, certain kind of qualities of each piece of gear, all that. And then once it's checked, allegedly, I haven't come across this in my courses yet, but what I was told is that it like basically lives in a safe overnight. Like you bring it to get checked, and then it gets like locked up and you can't touch it, do anything to it until uh until the race, which yeah, I guess I'll I'll let you know how that goes, but I'm I'm kind of as in the dark as anyone else about it.
SPEAKER_00:Oh my gosh. Did you bring like how does that work? Do you bring like bring spares with you so that way you can like still get work in ahead of time, like before all that?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, we have so much stuff, like copies of the same ski and binding, which is like so wasteful and also like kind of annoying to to travel around with, of course. But um, yeah, I mean it's always good to have backups for sure.
SPEAKER_00:Interesting, interesting. Now, I saw um I know you've been you kind of put it out there in the world, like where you're at and what you're doing, as far as like you're in I think you're in France right now, right? In the Beauforton, somewhere in that range.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, yeah, exactly. I'm in our resh so where like Jim and Just lived and Francois here and and then like a bunch of like schemo legends and where the Piramenta race is. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:I uh dude, I I heard you were doing Piramenta this year with uh David Sinclair. I feel like that's a that's a match made in heaven right there. It's pretty cool.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, dude, we're super pumped. We're gonna like meet in the middle a little bit of my like transitions and sprinting are gonna be really good, and David's like Western States training is gonna be really good, and then we're kind of meeting in the middle with uh with Piramento, but like we raced really well together at the World Championship last year and and just get along well, and I think it'll work out. But yeah, we're gonna be training for very different things in the weeks before.
SPEAKER_00:So cool. You guys are gonna crush. Um, is it cool? I I saw Griffins out there as well. Is it like helpful to have friends out there and like because that's the thing. I would imagine if you were going through this experience, not necessarily solo, but like this is a this is a lot to navigate for someone, you know, for anybody. Um, but having like Griffin out there to train with and spend time with, so having friends, like that's gotta help ground you and and keep things pretty chill, I would imagine, right?
SPEAKER_01:For sure, yeah. And like as excited as everyone was about like Olympic qualification and all that, like the people on the team are almost a little more muted because it's like something we were all working towards unexpected all along. And so it's like not a big deal to a lot of our teammates, which is really sweet. Of they're just like, yeah, like a course, like someone's doing this, and um, and it is kind of interesting too, with like because we had to work so hard to qualify for that quota spot, we had a really good team vibe and an atmosphere of like we were all kind of working towards this collective goal, and it really brought us together. Where it sounds like there's some teams that had the opposite experiences. Like, um, yeah, I mean, Italy, for example, is the host nation. They got a spot automatically, and so they didn't have to earn that quota spot. And so they were essentially against each other from the beginning, where we were never against each other until after the very last races were over. Like we were committed to the same goal until yeah, literally the the qualification period had ended. Um, and so yeah, we just have a really good team vibe, and like um, yeah, it's nice to kind of be in it with everyone else and and everyone's stoked and and it's cool to like just go through the World Cup as normal with with all them. And then um, like Griffin in particular is an alternate for the Olympics, and so he'll be around like up until um up until the games themselves, which is really great because we get along super well, and he's like really good at a lot of like the skills, and so like we push each other and training a lot, and he's just like yeah, really awesome to be around and like keeps a really good attitude and we joke around a lot, and um, yeah, it's just like a great friend. So yeah, it's it's just awesome to to be in this as a team, like for the same reason that I talked about kind of being on the journey with Anna and like being able to like talk about how crazy it is is really helpful. Like it's the same thing with um yeah, being here with the whole team of it's something that we've all been working towards together for a long time, and then also Griffin's probably gonna race in the next three Olympics after this. So um, we're kind of getting it figured out together, and I'll I'll set him up for when it's his time in four years, eight years, twelve years, whatever. So crazy.
SPEAKER_00:It is cool because like he he is kind of he's so young. I mean, what is he? He's like 19, 20 years old, right? He just turned 20. Oh my god. Like he's kind of the air apparent, which is neat. So I mean, you have still at least one more Olympic cycle left in you after this, and like he at least, and then you know, he's you know, oh my god, to be 20 years old again. That's crazy.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and he's like, I mean, we're close to inseparable and they race a lot, and he's 20 and I'm 30. So like, yeah, he's right there, and and definitely, yeah. I mean, he'll on paper probably crush me in the next cycle, but hopefully there's um there's more than one spot per nation at that point, like as we gain quota spots and and add new disciplines and all that. But um, yeah, so he's like, it's pretty clear where his trajectory is, but he'll still have to um yeah, if there's only one spot, then he's still gonna have to wrestle it away from me, and then we're gonna be best friends after it regardless. I love that.
SPEAKER_00:Dude, do you think there's a chance like in the next cycle? Uh I don't know how much you know as far as inside baseball goes or what you could even say, but if if schemo goes really well, which I would assume it would over through this cycle, um, is there a chance maybe we get individual and vertical? Because like I feel like the vertical is such your jam, um, and the individual as well. Like there, there's like what I'm trying to say is like mixed relay probably isn't the first thing I would like have picked for you, right? Like there's other opportunities, other things you're really good at. Um, is there a chance that could be added in the coming years, or is that maybe a non-starter?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, the it's actually sounding pretty uh certain that the individual will be in for 2030 in France, which is great. And we don't know exactly what that course will look like. It'll probably be modified a bit, kind of like um what trail running likely would become a couple years later of like some kind of small looped course with like really specific parameters in place around it. Um, but it would be an individual and be longer. And like, yeah, that's definitely what I'm better suited to most of the time. Um and we'll see with like, I mean, it's still like I am fully past the like injury of my ACL tear, but like I'm I'm not descending in the same way that I used to. And so like it'll definitely be a new challenge to train for the individual that's like off piece, high speed, there's no gates slowing us down and all that. And it's really just like how fast are you willing to point yourself down the mountain? Where with the gates, it's like you have to um have the skills to get around the gates quickly. Like, um, yeah, it'll be an interesting challenge for sure. So, like the the duration and like energy demands of the race will suit me a lot better. But um, yeah, I gotta keep kind of getting that that downhill mentality back um post-injury.
SPEAKER_00:It's gonna be a whirlwind from here on out, like once until you get to February 21st. Have you are you like a visual guy? Like, do you try and visualize like what this day will what the day will feel like? Have you thought about like, okay, like let me soak it all in so I remember this day for the rest of my life because it's gonna be so important? Or are you kind of like one of those people that'll just put it in the back of your mind and when it comes, it comes, and then it's over and I can focus on other things?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I haven't done a lot of super specific visualization about the race yet. I will once we're past this last World Cups, then that gives me three weeks to kind of really think about that course. And when I visualize, I'll think about it as just myself. Like I'm not really gonna plan around these race scenarios. I'm just gonna think about like the feelings that each kind of section of the race will come with and just try to make that as familiar as possible. Which is a side note, with the sprint two days before the relay and being a three-minute effort, like it's actually a really good way to prep for the relay because all I've done, I'll have raced in the Olympics, literally with zero pressure, like no one cares how I do that day, and I don't really care how I do that day. Um, I mean, obviously I want to like have a good race, but like then we'll go to the mixed relay and like it won't be my first Olympic race, and then it'll be the one that really matters. So I think that'll really help from like uh kind of just getting the yaas out perspective. Um but yeah, right now there's I mean, we're still in the middle of World Cup season, like there's a race every weekend, we're trying to get ready for those. So that's a little bit more where my acute focus is, and then yeah, when the races come from that perspective, like a mantra that's really worked for me is that I expect nothing, but I can handle anything. Like I'm just preparing for anything, and there's nothing that I expect, right? Which is why I didn't ex like it didn't surprise me when we were in first place in solitude, it didn't surprise me when we were three places back of where we needed to be. Like I was yeah, ready for anything out there, and so I'll kind of take that same energy into the racing. But then as far as like the pump and circumstance and all that, like I I have no idea what it's gonna be like. Um, and especially with racing towards the end of the games where there's gonna be a lot of time to get distracted um and like get just kind of antsy waiting for our race to go. But at the end of the day, like I will just be there for a lot of that period, just as a sports fan. I'm excited to see what the Olympics look like. And um, yeah, I'll just have my systems in place for kind of staying focused on our race and just enjoy watching it all and um be ready when the moment comes, which I'm I'm certain that we will be.
SPEAKER_00:How does it work with athletes uh being able to get tickets for certain events? Like do they make make stuff pretty like available for you guys?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so with your credential, you can just walk into any other race. Um or any other race or not race event. Um so anything indoors with like seating capacity, you have to reserve that ahead of time. And then any outdoor one, you can literally just walk up to it and walk in. So we're gonna go to um the women's four by seven and a half K relay, so Nordic racing. Um Jinxie Diggins, of course, is the name everyone probably started thinking of when I said that. Like she'll be racing and then um three other amazing women too. So I'm pumped to go watch that and just yeah, see an Olympic race. I really wish we could see more, but the games are super spread out. There's eight different venues that will hold competitions, um, which I think is gonna be a model for few model for future games, kind of spreading out that economic impact and the burden a little bit. So, like all the ice events are in Milan, like sliding events in Cortina, women's alpine is in one place, men's alpine in another. Um, actually in the same place we are. But yeah, it's all super spread out. Because like I would love to see some speed skating, some figure skating, and some hockey in particular. All those are in Milan and we'll be a few hours away. So um probably won't make it there, but definitely um that women's Nordic race, and then hopefully we're not too far from like moguls and aerials as well. So it'd be cool to see something like that. But um, yeah, only one other event playing so far. And that'd be why it would be nice to race earlier in the games. But I think it'll be cool too because most athletes will be done competing by the time we race. And a lot of them might be curious to check out this new sport too. So it'd be really fun to like, yeah, have some Olympians from other sports come come check us out, which I hope happens.
SPEAKER_00:So cool, man. Oh my gosh. Yeah, and I'm sure like athletes are gonna come from far and wide to especially on the European side, like ski mountaineering is is so popular and so loved that I think it it's just a such a good fit for the Olympics this year for going forward. So I'm glad it's definitely glad it's in there. Uh, dude, did you get your your fit yet for your uh for like the the opening ceremony and stuff like that? I think it's like supposed to be pretty dope this year from whatever.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I uh I've seen pictures, it looks pretty awesome, like all the Ralph Loren and Nike stuff and the sweaters and this whole ensemble and whatever. But um yeah, they actually it's all really clever. Like they basically will have all those and like um basically like they have these like truckloads full of duffel bags in a conference room at the Milan airport, and then all the teams and athletes like cycle through there over the the 10 days before the game. So you like walk through and go through this teen USA welcoming experience and get like fitted for your stuff, and they like tailor your uniforms and and whatever. Um if you need it, which hopefully we don't, because that sounds then they have to ship it to you, and I kind of want to grab it and go. But anyway, yeah, it's all kind of um these clever little systems that people that have walked the road before us have figured out. But uh yeah, we don't have those uniforms quite yet.
SPEAKER_00:So cool, so cool. Well, listen, Cam, I want to uh I don't want to hold you up. I know you got a lot going on today. So I just want to say thank you so much for your time, dude. Wishing you all the luck in the world, you and Anna um and the rest of Team USA. And yeah, dude, we'll be rooting for you. And uh I can't wait to catch up with you after the fact.
SPEAKER_01:Thanks so much, James. Yeah, it'll be super fun to talk to you after. And like, yeah, it's just really cool to share the stoke with everyone and especially with someone that's yeah, kind of been there from the beginning and and helps to grow the sport on his own uh own accord. So um, yeah, it's fun to chat with you and yeah, looking forward to more in uh in a couple months.
SPEAKER_00:I appreciate it, buddy. And looking forward when you're back in Colorado. We'll have to we'll definitely catch up, I'll have to come out and see you in CB. So we'll have a good time. Thank you. All right, man. Take care. Thank you. See ya. Yep. What'd you guys think? Oh man, what a fun episode. Always such a big fan of Cam's and uh just wishing him the best wishes and uh you know everything that is gonna happen for him, all the amazing stuff uh with the Olympics. It's it's gonna be really exciting to follow along. So just the guy's biggest fan. Um the way you could support him, give him a follow on Instagram. You can find him at Cam from CB. That's right, Cam from C B. Uh give him a follow, let him know what you guys thought about the episode, and uh definitely tune in and listen to his other interviews too. There's all kinds of good stuff out there on major news platforms all over the world that want to hear from Cam. Definitely give them a listen and give them a follow so you can, you know, get so we could support our boy. Um guys, if you've been enjoying these episodes, please give us a five-star rating and review on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you consume your podcast. That's how we can continue to tell these great stories of these amazing athletes. Um, definitely would really appreciate that. Um, lots of good stuff coming on throughout the rest of the week, some big announcements down the pipeline, and uh appreciate your time. Thanks so much.