How to qualify for the Olympics in just two years with Matt Smith cover art

How to qualify for the Olympics in just two years with Matt Smith

How to qualify for the Olympics in just two years with Matt Smith

Listen for free

View show details

About this listen

This week Emma is joined by Matt Smith who this year will be at his first Winter Olympics competing in cross-country skiing.

Matt is not your typical Olympian. From South Africa, he only took up the sport three years ago and is South Africa’s sole cross-country skier in the Winter Olympics earning himself the nickname 'The Snowbok'.

Also an entrepreneur and a new dad, Matt shares his journey from looking for a way to enjoy a Norwegian winter, to a chance encounter which led him to where he is now - preparing for the biggest stage in sport.

We also dive into the realities of being an athlete from a non-traditional winter sports nation: limited funding, creative problem-solving, and the importance of community.

Expect to hear:

  • What inspired Matt's Olympic dream
  • His two years of dedication
  • His highs and lows of the journey
  • The ‘small nation’ community
  • Finding balance and the sacrifices no-one sees

Matt’s story and determination is incredibly inspiring - prepare to be bamboozled by his resilience and ambition, and he could very well inspire your own Olympic dream.

Here’s to chasing big dreams. ❄️🎿

Follow Matt Smith on Instagram

More about the visuals? Watch the episode on ⁠YouTube⁠.

-

✨🎙️Make sure you subscribe and follow the podcast now to know when the nextepisode with a wonderfully passionate person drops in a fortnight.

Keep up to date on all things Passion Stories podcast on ⁠Instagram⁠ and sign up to the monthly newsletter ⁠here⁠ for some epic exclusive content.

Follow your host Emma Cole on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and check out her ⁠website⁠.

-

Thanks to Protect our Winters UK for supporting the podcast. ⁠Sign the Clean Miles Campaign now ⁠

-

Purchase a pair of Shokz headphones here and use the discount code EMMACOLE for £10 off

Thanks to Tune Tank for the tunes.

No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.