For much of his life, Michael Janyk was a professional alpine skier—a technical master banging gates on slalom and giant slalom courses around the world over a 14-year professional career that included three Olympic Games, one of them on his home turf in Whistler BC. And while saw some success (and knows what it’s like to stand on a world championship podium) Mike didn’t hit that childhood dream benchmark of Olympic gold, or "Best in the World." And while that is a common experience for nearly all athletes in every sport, not many share what that feels like from an athlete's perspective, and what keeps them going as they continue to grind it out and chase their passions. Mike shares his experiences in his first book Go to the Start: Life as a World Cup Ski Racer. Mountain Life editor Feet Banks sat down with him to learn more.

(Note: this episode contains occasional profanity and at one point discusses sexual abuse.)