People often ask me, “Are you nervous on stage?” The truth is I am not. But in the lead-up to a big event — well, I’m terrified! At the opening of my Behind the Gold Speaker Series at the Eccles Center on Thanksgiving weekend, that was one of the topics Ted Ligety and I discussed.Over the past two decades, our little hometown has become a calling card to athletes from around the country — and even the world — to make their home here in our mountain town. But Ligety, he’s a different story. He was one of those little kids rippin’ around the ski area back in the ’90s in the early days of the Park City Ski Team. He grew up in the growing Olympic culture of our town. And he blossomed in the legacy years extending from the 2002 Winter Games.Today, older Ted is watching his own young boys nearing the age of freedom on the mountain as they chase him around Deer Valley Resort. Ligety is entering his fourth year of retirement now. And don’t worry — as much as he’s excited to see former teammate Lindsey Vonn give it another shot, he’s quick to note that he’s quite happy with his own post-ski racing career as it is.Ligety moved into the spotlight quite unexpectedly in 2006, winning Olympic gold. Along the way, he ascended to become the best giant slalom skier in the world, winning five crystal globes. He became one of only two men — the other Swedish superstar Ingemar Stenmark — to win three straight world championship titles. He capped his career in 2014 with another Olympic gold.Today, Ligety tells his career story to audiences around the country. He’s deeply engaged with Utah’s DPS Skis, helping design its new frontside ski. And he’s an ambassador for Deer Valley Resort. In fact, the very next day he was testing new DPS prototypes as the rest of us were enjoying leisurely arcs off Bald Mountain.While most of the audience was there purely for the entertainment value in hearing his stories, over a hundred young ski racers were there to learn. “How do you train?” “How do you prepare mentally?”Spend an hour with Ted Ligety and he’ll take you places. Like the lift ride at Sestriere with Kjetil Jansrud after the combined downhill in 2006 when the two of them figured out they still had a chance. Or seeing how the 2013 World Championship super-G course in Schladming favored his style and launched him to three gold medals. And the confidence he felt to throw himself into the second run at Sochi to win Olympic gold once again.So, let’s get back to that fear and confidence thing. Going into the 2010 Olympics at Whistler, B.C., Ligety was the top GS skier in the world. He knew he was the best. And when he stepped into the starting gate at Whistler Creekside, he knew that he only had to ski — not think. But all the way down, he kept thinking … and acting … and thinking … and it left him in eighth place, six-tenths behind leader and eventual gold medalist Carlo Janka of Switzerland.“I just stood there thinking about how I failed to just let myself go,” recalled Ligety.Second run it happened again. The best giant slalom skier in the world ended up ninth. It was a career-defining moment. Over the next five years, Ligety would have the confidence to throw himself onto race courses and let his training take its course. He would go on to win the next three World Championships and the 2014 Olympics — one of the greatest spans of dominance in sport history.Confidence isn’t that easy to learn. But it’s the key to success. It’s the trust in your preparation. If you have that trust, you can chuck your skis sideways to win gold.I should probably listen more to my guests. It’s something I do need to learn!The post Ridgelines: Ted Ligety soared when he trusted himself fully appeared first on Park Record.