ETP support makes a difference for developing athletes
Published Fri 01 Oct 2021
Participating in the Emerging Talent Program (ETP) alongside fellow snow sports athletes and being able to learn from experts helps young skiers and snowboarders understand that they are not alone on the journey towards becoming successful athletes, according to 18-year-old cross-country skier Lily Murnane.
Murnane is one of 13 cross-country skiing talents invited to the 2021/2022 Snow Australia ETP program, which supports the preparation of almost 70 potential performance athletes across multiple disciplines as they aim to transition into performance pathway programs.
International travel restrictions prevented U.S.-based Murnane from skiing on Australian snow during the domestic season, but she was still able to get valuable advice on strength and conditioning, training and recovery. She also had remote access to ETP webinars on a variety of subjects, one of the aspects of the program that she finds most interesting and useful.
“They give a lot of insight into what it means to be a successful athlete and how we should perceive ourselves and our opportunities while competing and training,” Murnane said.
“The ETP program is allowing me to look differently at my identity as an athlete and the overall meaning of what it means to be successful and productive in my sport.”
Murnane has been loving cross-country skiing since a very young age and now fully enjoys all aspects of the sport, from training to racing and the opportunity to balance mental and physical training along with recovery and social life.
“Once I started training with a team that had the same interests and passion for skiing, I knew this was the sport I wanted to do for a long time.
“I instantly fell in love with the compelling atmosphere and camaraderie of racing. Competing gives you opportunities to showcase your hard work and abilities, and also gives you a chance to travel to new and exciting places.
“Our sport allows you to cross train, adding variety into training and preventing burnout - so I am happy to have the opportunity to do other things aside from skiing in order to create more balance for my mind and muscles,” she said.
Having a support network is extremely important for athletes, even more so for a young developing skier. Murnane found a nurturing environment in the nordic skiing community, a close-knit group of people with a passion for being active outdoors, promoting the sport and advocating for the environment in which it takes place.
“I would not have accomplished as much as I have without the support of the nordic skiing community. It makes me feel incredibly proud to be a part of it,” she said.
Murnane is currently a student at Montana State University in the U.S., racing in the Division 1 NCAA circuit with the MSU nordic college ski team. She has already been selected to the Australian Team for the 2022 World Junior Championships, another step towards her bigger goal to one day represent Australia at the Winter Olympic Games like her role model Casey Wright.
Murnane looks up to the cross-country Winter Olympian - an athlete she can relate to and admire for her drive, determination and passion for the sport.
“She pursued an education while competitively skiing for an NCAA ski team in the United States and representing Australia in international competition and I am on a similar path with education and athletics. Having the opportunity to travel and race alongside her was a fantastic experience and I learned that it is possible to create balance with all of this hard work and stress.”
Murnane’s academic ambition is to complete her education with a degree in exercise science to then pursue a career in physical therapy through graduate school. She is also very active in the environmental space, advocating for change through personal endeavours (like the ‘Envirolution Club’ she started in high school with a few friends) or providing support to organisations such as Protect Our Winter (POW).
“It’s something that is extremely important to me. Organisations like POW are creating an atmosphere where athletes and the community can learn how climate change is affecting the snow and our opportunities to travel, ski and race. This is affecting so many futures and I feel that raising awareness is currently the top priority.”
On the sport side, Murnane hopes to fulfill her ambition to ski professionally on the international circuit and soon begin competing at World Cups representing Australia. This is a goal the ETP can help her with, growing her skills and confidence.
“Having access to this kind of support as a developing athlete makes a noticeable difference. It begins as a push in the right direction and turns into a huge stepping stone once an athlete knows what their goals are and how they want to achieve them,” she said.
About Snow Australia Emerging Talent Program
The Emerging Talent Program (ETP) is Snow Australia Talent Identification and Development (TID) program which aims to identify, support and enhance preparation of potential performance athletes for transition into the performance pathway programs. It is made possible by funding from the AIS Performance Pathway funding stream and with generous support from The Lind Partners and the Hancock Family.
The Lind Partners is a US-based institutional fund manager and leading provider of growth capital to small and mid-cap companies, including many Australian businesses, particularly in the mining sector. The partnership between Snow Australia and The Lind Partners is designed to nurture emerging talents and help them unlock their full potential. Lind Advisory Board member John Hancock made a further pledge to support Australia’s next generation of snow athletes via ongoing program donations, which will enable additional investment and support of the ETP. The generous support of both John and Gemma Hancock and The Lind Partners, through its founder Jeff Easton, will make a substantial difference to the capability of the ETP.