Success Stories

Jan Hudec never gives up

Update: Jan Hudec placed 23rd in the Super G and 25th in Downhill.

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Jan Hudec
Alpine FIS Ski World Cup – Men’s downhill on
January 17, 2009 in Switzerland.
Photo: ACA/Pentaphoto

Ski racer Jan Hudec is no stranger to adversity. When the downhill specialist crashed at the World Championships in Val d’Isère last February, he knew right away that he’d blown his knee.

After five previous knee surgeries on his right knee, this was all too familiar. But Jan Hudec is a man who can stay focused on the positive. This time, at least, he’d injured his left knee, and the prognosis was good for a fast, full recovery.

Jan, who immigrated to Canada as a young boy, is stronger than ever. He’s quick to share the credit with his physical therapist Kent Kobelka.

“We’ve been through victories and defeats. I trust him with my life. We make a very good team. When I do succeed, it’s not just my success.” says Hudec.

Jan has already achieved significant success on the World Cup downhill ski circuit. In 2007, Jan won the silver medal at the World Championships in Are, Sweden. He also won a World Cup downhill race that same year at Lake Louise in Alberta, the first time in history that a Canadian has won there.

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Jan Hudec
Photo: ACA/Peak
Photography

Now he is focused on being in top form in time for the 2010 Olympics in Whistler. It’s a dream he has had since he was a young boy. In 1988, a year after he immigrated to Canada, Jan went to see the Olympics in ski racing in Calgary with his family.

“That’s when I got that dream in my heart to race in the Olympics for Canada one day. It was cool then to go to the Olympics and experience all of it and now to have the opportunity to go there myself …”

Jan was born in Sumperk, Czech Republic. A year later, his parents moved to Germany. On the weekend, the family would pack the car and go skiing in Austria. When Jan saw his father racing at the Masters level, he knew that he wanted to be a ski racer as well.

After growing up in a communist country, Jan’s father was seeking a land of freedom and opportunity and Canada appeared to be the Promised Land. His father got a job as a ski coach and the family moved to Red Deer, Alberta, when Jan was five.

The change came with some challenges. Jan didn’t speak English but he soon found out that it didn’t matter when he was skiing with other kids. They played and had fun. He even made friends for life.

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Jan Hudec
Alpine FIS Ski World Cup – Men’s downhill on
January 17, 2009 in Switzerland.
Photo: ACA/Pentaphoto

“Some of my best friends now were my best friends when I first arrived in Canada. Sport is an easy way for people to interact, a common ground where you communicate through observation, imitation, action and cooperation. It was the best way to be integrating to Canadian culture.”

Hudec’s results to date have made him a strong candidate for Canada’s Olympic alpine ski team. Coaches will look at a number of factors in making final decisions on the team, likely in the New Year. They will look at the results from both last year and this coming World Cup season. Coaches will also have the flexibility to take into account the fact that he was injured and recovering for much of that time.

At the end of November, Hudec plans to race at the Lake Louise World Cup and do a few more races before and after Christmas. “I’m hoping to qualify and go to the Olympics. I feel proud to represent Canada. I wouldn’t want to represent any other country. This would be a first for me to get to the Olympics.”

Jan was 10 years old when he became a Canadian. “I put my hand on the Bible and I was officially a Canadian. It was an enlightening experience for me, I felt like a little Czech boy that was Canadian.” Jan feels like being Canadian is the best passport in the world when you are travelling.

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Jan Hudec
Alpine FIS Ski World Cup – Men’s downhill on
January 17, 2009 in Switzerland.
Photo: ACA/Pentaphoto

“The legacy of Canadian people is to be very generous, open and loving. So many other nations respect Canadians for who we are.” Jan has certainly developed those qualities himself. He has learned some hard lessons through his challenges.

“I became a better and stronger individual through my set back. I think that what got me through is my faith in God, my faith in general. You need some sort of guiding light in your life where you can base your actions, your goals and all your dreams.”

Jan almost retired from skiing on several occasions but he keeps coming back for more. “No matter how bad my situation was. I felt like something was unfinished. I came back and continue to have success.”

The biggest challenge that Jan has had to face is being honest with himself. He feels that when you live in a country where you are free and you have lots of opportunities, with that comes responsibilities.

“The challenge is not to become lazy and complacent but work to our full potential. Working hard when no one is watching. Be the best person that we can be. Change ourselves so that the world can change.”

Watch a video about a Ski racer hopes to represent Canada.

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