Born in Johannesburg to Capetonian parents before emigrating to the UK at age eight, Smith’ s sporting DNA was forged in the world of rugby, cricket, hockey, and later triathlons. However, a move to Norway at the end of 2022, when winter had properly set in, presented a choice: hibernate or lean in. Smith chose the latter, trading the Cape Town promenade, where he had returned as a triathlete, for the ski tracks on the outskirts of Oslo, where he was living with his now fiancée.
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“ I had been on cross-country skis a handful of times beforehand... mostly I was falling on my bum the whole time,” Smith recalls. The spark ignited when his first real lesson came from an unlikely source: Allan Daniel Corona, a Mexican and a professional skier.“ I think to myself, hold on, lightbulb moment: could I just maybe fulfil a childhood dream and become not just Springbok, but the Snowbok, and represent South Africa in crosscountry skiing?”
Smith didn’ t just decide to ski; he decided to target qualification for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Starting in early 2023, he realised he had roughly 700 days until the crucial World Championship qualification race in February 2025. For a man who started with zero“ ski feeling” – that instinctual balance Nordic children develop by age four – the proverbial mountain to climb seemed vertical.“ I really had to reverse engineer the days I had and we had to figure out what would be the key minutes and the key moments that mattered,” he explains. While most beginners start with the basics, Smith and his coach jumped straight to“ Level 17”.
“ It took me 50 minutes to do a race that should take me 25 minutes,” Smith explained. To close the gap, they prioritised high-speed downhill cornering and body positioning over foundational drills.“ We knew if I could handle fast downhills sooner, that would mean that I would be able to jump already in time”. The move worked, and exactly a year ago,
Smith achieved his goal by qualifying for the Winter Olympics, which take place in Italy from 6-22 February. The journey wasn’ t without its low points. A year into the mission, the“ all-or-nothing” mindset nearly led to a breakdown. Smith realised that to survive the gruelling training weeks, he had to“ programme joy” into his schedule.
This led to the creation of his own social ski clubs, a move that provided the social accountability he needed to endure three-hour solo sessions in-25 ° C temperatures. It also turned him into a digital sensation. By documenting the falls, the failures, and the slow progress, Smith built a community that transcended the sport, and a massive online following for his fun, instructional videos, teaching new skills while always representing South Africa with immense pride.
“ One of the biggest roles we don’ t talk about in helping me continue on this journey was speaking about it publicly and openly to everyone that would listen... the truth is, there’ s value in that because you gain social accountability,” he explained.
As the Olympics approach, Smith’ s focus has expanded beyond his own results. He has been selected as one of only 15 athletes globally to be featured in an Olympic mini-series, a selection he attributes to his impact off the course rather than his ranking on it.“ You can’ t be what you can’ t see,” Smith reckoned. He is already looking toward a legacy that includes inspiring South Africans to take up winter sports, bringing roller skiing to the streets of Cape Town and identifying the next generation of endurance talent.“ I’ m trying to win medals on the course, but whilst I’ m playing catch-up of 25 years of lost skiing, I can definitely win a gold medal as a human being,” he reckoned.
“ On the day, anything can happen. But the point is, you are more than your results”.
Aside from that, Smith is determined to bring some South African flavour to the Winter Games, requesting the 30-odd family members who will be in Milano-Cortina this February to set up a braai area with a large South African flag and hand out boerie rolls. www. modernathlete. co. za 25