We always publish our own New Year's resolutions, but this year we decided to ask some of our favourite pro riders what their goals are this season as well.Kate Courtney
What is the biggest lesson you learned in 2020?
The biggest lesson I learned from 2020 is that the outcomes of my efforts have always been uncertain, but if I continue to focus on the process every day and commit to giving my best as an athlete and person - I at least give myself a chance at achieving my dreams and learning a lot along the way.
What’s your sporting goal for 2021?
My focus for 2021 is squarely on the Olympic Games and delivering my best performance in Tokyo.
What’s your New Year’s resolution?
Intention: Believe in the vision. Focus on the process. Trust the next right step.
One of my resolutions: Walk my doggo Monte every day that I am home!
Brook Macdonald What is the biggest lesson you learned in 2020?
Learning to walk again
What’s your sporting goal for 2021?
To be at the sharp end of racing again
What’s your New Year’s resolution?
Train even harder than I did in 2020
Jesse Melamed What is the biggest lesson you learned in 2020?
To go with the flow with positivity.
What’s your sporting goal for 2021?
I would like to make my
#1 official.
What’s your New Year’s resolution?
I don't have anything specific, just continuous self-improvement.
Haley Smith What is the biggest lesson you learned in 2020?
I learned a LOT of lessons, across all spectrums of life. I learned about my capacity, my purpose, the importance of community… the list goes on. But all of these lessons were learned in some way through failure. It’s more fun to reflect on the (rarer) lessons learned through success, so I’ll share one of those: in 2020, I learned that I actually, truly, love to ride my bike.
Since I started riding, I have always raced. So on a very obvious level, riding has always been about training in some form or another. I’ve often asked myself, “Do I actually like what I do? Or is the daily ride just a means to reach an objective?”. This year, I had the freedom to train differently - more adventure, more exploration, more “riding by feel” - and I realized that I actually love to be on bikes. Mountain, gravel, road... even the indoor trainer sometimes (who would have guessed that?!). In a way, COVID gave me the gift of a re-awakened love for my bike and the possibilities it represents on a daily basis. I’ve long harboured a secret worry that when I stop racing, I won’t keep riding. But this year showed me that I love it enough that riding will always be a part of my life.
What’s your sporting goal for 2021?
I’m shooting for a lot of things in 2021. I have many process or skill-related goals that I’m really motivated to work on, like improving fluidity on descents and the mindset I bring to challenges. In terms of performance objectives, I’m hoping to be at the Olympics in Tokyo and would love to stand on another World Cup podium. I actually had a dream last night that I won a medal at the Games, so it’s safe to say the fire is stoked!
What’s your New Year’s resolution?
My New Year’s Resolution probably sounds a little corny to most, but it’s this: “to choose positivity and happiness on a daily basis”. I don’t mean that I want to be happy every day, but rather actively choose a positive lens to see things through. I’ve gone through waves of being more habitually positive/negative throughout my life, and COVID has tipped me towards the negative bias a little bit. Being able to see the good in things makes everything better and more manageable, so that’s my goal for the new year.
Pauline Ferrand-Prevot What is the biggest lesson you learned in 2020?
"Trust the process." My main lesson, that means you have to be patient (a huge challenge for me!)… and to accept losing to achieve greater victories.
What’s your sporting goal for 2021?
Definitely, the Olympic Games.
What’s your New Year’s resolution?
Avoid the New Year's resolution and start your journey every day.
Casey Brown What is the biggest lesson you learned in 2020?
Biggest lesson was to slow down and take a hard look at the way we’ve been living for so long, Covid has made me realize I was blinded by the ever quickening pace of life.
What’s your sporting goal for 2021?
My goal is to get better on my Ticket DJ hard tail.
What’s your New Year’s resolution?
New Years resolution is to spend more time with family and be a better listener.
Remy Metailler What is the biggest lesson you learned in 2020?
Being able to adapt (fast) is absolutely key for any jobs or industries especially during those times.
What’s your sporting goal for 2021?
Working on my weaknesses to keep becoming a better rider. Practice makes perfect right?
What’s your New Year’s resolution?
Spend more time riding on a Downhill bike!
Andreane Lanthier Nadeau What is the biggest lesson you learned in 2020?
Nothing should be taken for granted! Living far away from my family in our beautiful (but big) country I always took for granted that I could hop on a plane and see them at any moments notice, that was challenged in 2020. Same for travelling to Europe and all the amazing countries we get to see with racing. I 110% took for granted that I would be in South America, Europe, and other destinations this year. Even hugging your close friends shouldn’t be taken for granted!
What’s your sporting goal for 2021?
I’d like to win an EWS.
What’s your New Year’s resolution?
Eat more chips than last year (don’t take anything for granted). Haha, seriously I work best with small goals that I accomplish over set periods of time, best case scenario they stick around and become habits. If not then they go back into the “rotational goals” and come back around. So I don’t know what I’ll be working on in the New Year’s but there’s gonna be a goal of some sort.
Johny Salido What is the biggest lesson you learned in 2020?
The biggest lesson I learned in 2020 is that you can take nothing for granted and that I must appreciate every moment, opportunity or experience at its fullest because we don’t know what’s happening tomorrow.
What’s your sporting goal for 2021?
My main sporting goal for 2021 is to make a mark for Latin American Freeride with my upcoming event: Freeride Fiesta. Host the best riders in the world for a week of good times, make the event sponsors proud and motivate young upcoming riders to pursue their dreams. And also in the same level of importance, get a wildcard invite for Rampage 2021 and get redemption.
What’s your New Year’s resolution?
My New Year’s resolution is to try and live in the moment always. Live one day at a time and enjoy the great opportunities I have in my career right now.
Miranda Miller What is the biggest lesson you learned in 2020?
Life sucks and then you die. Just kidding, I already knew that. As for a serious answer, perhaps it is more of a reminder than lesson, but 2020 proved again the importance of recognizing all the rad things and opportunities that I have right at my doorstep. Less is easily more and it’s important to focus on our needs and not just our wants.
What’s your sporting goal for 2021?
I suppose to answer simply, to keep evolving as an athlete.
What’s your New Year’s resolution?
I should probably quit smoking all those cigarettes. Again, a joke… To be perfectly honest I have never made a New Years Resolution, if I have it was probably just to answer one of these things! I’m a motivated individual and my day to day life is already very goal orientated.
Isabeau Courdurier What is the biggest lesson you learned in 2020?
The biggest lesson I learnt from 2020 is that you can't control what is out of your reach, but you can adapt to deal with it. It was hard to keep training and pushing with all of our goals taken away, but in the end it was like testing my ultimate goal of getting better each day.
What’s your sporting goal for 2021?
My main goal is first to get back from my ankle injury at 100%. My main focus for next year will be the Enduro World Series, but I would like to diversify my racing too with some downhill and E-bike races.
What’s your New Year’s resolution?
I tend to make resolutions at the beginning of each month, so New Year's ones for me are like my resolutions for the month. But if I had to choose one for the year it would be to be more kind with myself. 2020 was such a roller coaster I was very hard on myself every time I was not motivated enough. But part of the process is to allow yourself to not be okay all of the time. And 2020 showed me I can't control everything and I was upset not to be able to. So my main resolutions for 2021 is to accept those days where I am not one hundred percent ok and make the most out of it without judging myself.
Learning to walk again
What’s your sporting goal for 2021?
To be at the sharp end of racing again
What’s your New Year’s resolution?
Train even harder than I did in 2020
this is mental...keep it up brook!
Dangit!
I cant stand prepackaged pro athlete responses.