IPC podcast: Mexican sit-skier Arly Velasquez on taking risks

Arly Velasquez does not believe in expectations. A Paralympic alpine skiier from Mexico, he is one of a select few to ever represent his country at a Paralympic Winter Games.

In the Allianz-supported International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) podcast “A Winning Mindset,” he discussed the role of risk in his life - and how to manage it.

“I have developed because of taking decisions where I have no idea. It’s a matter of 'does it feel right or not?'" he said. "I don't see it as a risk, I see that when I am in the mountain on a sit ski, I just feel the most free.”

The former BMX champion also discusses the risks he took when leaving Mexico on the spur of a moment, building a new life on the ski slopes in Canada.

“(Skiing) gave me the belief to go back to Mexico, sell all my stuff, sell my car and pretty much fly to the border," he said. "It's very, rare that there are moments in your life where you are feeling and your gut tells you that you are in the right place. That you are doing the right thing and that it's something that you want to keep doing in your life. That's what I felt for the first time.”

But he does not see it as risks.

“I don't see it as a risk, I see that when I am in the mountain on a sit ski, I just feel the most free,” Velasquez said. “You are in the mountain and well connected to your equipment. You go down the mountain on a perfect day in the snow. To beat that freedom? You can't; I cannot find another place I can find that. That takes me back again and again to the mountains. In a monoski, you are able to control massive amounts of energy.

The full episode and transcript with Arly Velasquez can be found online.