Kozzie's Korner: Why retire?

Kozzie’s Korner: Why retire?I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of responses I received from my last column. It is so exciting to see how many people love the sport of skiing. I received many different questions and comments, but the most frequent comment or question was, ‘Why retire?’

There are so many things that go into a person retiring from anything. Let’s get one thing straight, I LOVE what I do (the skiing part, that is). I know that I am making a living doing something I love and not many people get to live that way. However, when I am finished, I will not miss the hotels, airplanes, duffel bag lugging, rental cars … you name it. The traveling part can get tiring, but that is no secret. And the idea of going out on the top, sure it would be hard, but I can’t help but think that would be all the sweeter. If I were saying that my plan to retire was all about the travel though, it wouldn’t be the whole truth.

As you most likely already know, I do not ski for the U.S. Ski Team. I have chosen to train and travel on my own, with my own staff. Six years ago, when I made the decision to go on my own, I knew deep down I was doing the right thing for me as an athlete. The question was, could it be done? Previous attempts in the United States to do so had been unsuccessful. Knowing that I was following my heart, I went forward anyway. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

The biggest catch in this situation though, is that I am given no financial support from the U.S. Ski Team. I pay for everything myself. I set up my Web page, www.koznick.com, where people can send donations or buy T-shirts to help fund my training. It has been amazing to see how many people would like to help, even if they don’t have the money to give. I have yet to raise enough money to cover all of my expenses, but then I guess I have to see it as an investment in myself, and my decision to train apart from the team, something I believe very strongly in.

So when it comes right down to it, I am not in a position to continue to pay for my career. But things happen for a reason, right? At least, that is what I believe.

I want to make sure that not only am I answering some of your questions, but also that I keep you guys posted on what is going on currently with myself and my team. We just returned to the United States for a 10-day break, from Saas-Fee, Switzerland. The training was amazing. We trained full time with the Swedish World Cup girls and it was a delight! Too bad I look so Polish, or I may actually blend in a little better. The girls are great and we really help to push each other. I am skiing really fast in both slalom and GS, so now the plan is to keep things moving forward.

We will be heading back to Europe on the 10th of October, in preparation for the World Cup opener in Soelden, Austria. Keep you eyes and ears open this season. I’ve got a feeling it is going to be a great year!