Reading:
The Goal Has To Be A Medal: Talking to Ski Racer Manuel Feller
Icon For Printer Print Page
The Goal Has To Be A Medal: Talking to Ski Racer Manuel Feller

The Goal Has To Be A Medal: Talking to Ski Racer Manuel Feller

Manuel Feller is an Austrian alpine ski racer. Feller specializes in the technical events of slalom and giant slalom. Feller made his World Cup debut on 11 November 2012. At the 2012 World Junior Alpine Skiing Championships Feller finished 27th in the Downhill, 14th in the Giant slalom and failed to finish the slalom. At the 2013 World Junior Alpine Skiing Championships Feller won the gold medal in the slalom, finishing ahead of Ramon Zenhaeusern and Santeria Paloniemi. In 2017 he won a silver medal in Giant Slalom at the FIS-World Cup in St. Moritz. We talked to the ski racer about his goals, setbacks and motivation.

How did you discover your love of ski racing?

Skiing was always a big time hobby for me. My aunt introduced me to skiing when I was three years old. After that I always went skiing with my father, but usually somewhere away from the ski runs. Then when I was alone with friends on the piste, I liked to spend my time jumping over every bump and mogul, and skiing around the gates with the Fieberbrunn Ski Club was also a lot of fun for me. At the age of nine or ten I was really getting to be pretty good, and that’s why I decided to enroll in the special skiing school in Neustift – that, I would say, was the start of my career.

It is always my goal to ski all out and get as close as I can to my limits.

What pushed you forward? What inspires you? Do you have a motivational tip for us?

I was my own greatest motivator and I kept myself moving forward. I always just wanted to be the best, to be faster than anyone else. Also, I was always inspired by the idea of pushing myself to my upper limits. The thrill of always being on the edge, even if I fell or whatever, that was the most fun for me. Everything else was just boring.

You have achieved a lot of success – how do you handle it? What do you take away from setbacks?

In recent years, I have to say that skiing lost some of its fun for me (due to my back problems), but the feeling I get when I’m at the start and see that green light is what kept me going. Then there’s the feeling you get when you are in front of 30,000 or 40,000 people – for example in Kitzbühel – that’s enough motivation right there. I also take something positive from any setbacks I experience (like fast split times), or I just accept the fact that things can’t always go well. I always give it my all, so as long as I’m skiing the way I want to, at my limit, I know that I can do it again and go into the next race at 100%.

Medaille manuel feller medal

How important are goals for you? Do you like setting goals?

For me the goal is always the next race – everything else is just a dream (podium finishes, medals, etc.). It is always my goal to ski all out and get as close as I can to my limits. What happens next also has a lot to do with luck. The main thing is that I gave 100% – then there is no defeat, it’s just more learning processes.

Were there times when you were discouraged? Why did you keep going?

At the time I had my disc prolapse in 2014, I was certainly a little discouraged. Getting out of bed every day with pain, not sleeping very much and simply being incredibly limited in terms of everyday activities…that’s just not easy. During that time I was just thinking to myself that I should accept things as they are. My big motivation then was to return to a life free of pain as quickly as possible, to get back to my normal daily routine. Wow that took a long time! Nonetheless, once the pain was gone I felt more fit than ever, then the fun returned to my skiing.

There is no defeat, it’s just more learning processes.

What are your next projects and goals? What would you still like to achieve?

My next goal is clearly a podium finish, and if that includes being at the World Championships, the goal has to be a medal (but that always involves racing all day long, so once again it’s more like a dream of mine). Actually, as I already described, the goal is always the next race. I would just like to show what I can do. I want be close to my limit, and after the race is over I want to be able to say that I gave it 100% – hopefully the good result is there too. Skiing at 100% will be what allows me to realize one or even more of my dreams one day.

He won the medal this time! Congratulations!

Fotocredits:  GEPA pictures/ Andreas Pranter

Website of Manuel Feller

Facebook of Manuel Feller

We use cookies on our website. Some of them are necessary while others help us to improve our online offering. You can accept the cookies that are not necessary by clicking on the "Accept all Cookies" button. It does help us!

Some of the data collected on this website is processed in the USA by Google or Facebook: By accepting all cookies, you also consent in accordance with article 49 (a) GDPR that your data will be processed in the USA. According to EU standards, the USA is assessed by the European Court of Justice as a country with an inadequate level of data protection. In particular, there is a risk that your data may be processed by US authorities for control and monitoring purposes, possibly even without the possibility of redress. If you click on "Accept Essential Cookies", the data collection and transmission described above will not take place.

Read our privacy statement

Accept all Cookies Accept Essential Cookies