“There’s a sense of peace that comes from knowing this is my structure, my career, my fight, my way.” — Lila Lapanja
Some athletes follow a system.
Some build their own.
Lila Lapanja was born in the United States to a Slovenian father who grew up in former Yugoslavia.
She built her early career inside the U.S. system. She raced for the U.S. Ski Team. She spent years fighting for Olympic qualification.
After multiple near misses and setbacks, she made a decision that reshaped her path. She chose to represent Slovenia.
Always close
Before the 2018 Olympics, I was skiing well, just not performing in races. Both times I had the opportunity to qualify, I was the first alternate. Just outside the four athletes that got to go. That fueled me. Always being close enough to taste it, but not close enough to step on the other side.
I broke my leg in the summertime and then got COVID. I wasn’t able to perform or be named to the team that year. I really thought about giving up.
There was something inside me that just decided to keep pushing.
I felt like there would be another opportunity I could uncover with really good results and qualify through the Slovenian national team. I felt like that was going to be my one chance, one opportunity to seize everything I’ve ever wanted.
Independent inside a team
Before Slovenia, she had already spent seven years racing independently in the U.S.
Once you're independent for that long, it's super hard to go back into any sort of established group setting. You know more about who you are and what you need.
I knew I was going to have special and unique needs. I took the steps to ensure that I would have my own structure within the structure so I could be adaptable and fluid and take care of what I needed to take care of, and then join the team when it made the best sense.
I really like being a team player. It’s important to me that there is a healthy team dynamic. But I also need my own private space to retreat to at the end of the day. That became almost a non-negotiable.
Building her own program
It really exposed my character and showed me what I'm made of. Where my strengths are. Where my weaknesses are.
It taught me that I'm quite a passionately stubborn individual.
If I have a goal to achieve, it's ultimately up to me. I’m the one who has to show up. I have to speak up. I have to take the action. I have to put the people in place to help me so I can take action.
When I’d hire ski coaches, I wanted to be on the same level. We were treating each other as equals.
What being an underdog means
Being the underdog is an interesting blend of feeling like you have something to prove and having absolutely no expectation to prove it.
You need the underdog to make the top dog have any sort of value. The underdogs make the sport relatable.
She remembers Aspen. GS Nationals. Bib 32.
I think I surprised a lot of people by my grit and ability to ski a tough GS. I was really proud of myself.
In the start gate
There’s a really deep sense of pride in myself and accomplishment of having done my career my way.
I took the risk and made the decision to walk that independent path and fight for something that I believed in, no matter what the outcome would be.
There’s a sense of peace that comes from knowing this is my structure, my career, my fight, my way.
My way.
My fight.
Still in it.
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