A chat with USA Peter Frenette

A chat with USA Peter Frenette SkiJumpingItaly took a look over the big pond and peppered Peter Frenette with questions. The likeable 21-year old athlete from the state of New York was seen in a World-Cup for the first time in Sapporo 2011. This is also where he gained his best results during the following years. He proved with good points in Harrachov this February that he's also eager to fly. Now he's looking forward to the nextseason and talked about his goals with us.

Congrats for being confirmed for the A-team but as you are the best US-jumper it was certain to see you there. What do you say about the team-decisions, like having Nick Alexander in the A-team along with Anders Johnson and you?

Peter Frenette: It's great to have a competitive team where we all push each other to be better. Im excited to have Nick and Anders on the A team with me and am looking forward to a good summer.

- What is your summary about the last season?

PF: Last season had it's ups and downs for me, after a good summer I was excited for my first winter on the World Cup tour. I was very close in many competitions and was able to score points in a few competitions. I was not nearly as consistent as I hoped to be but it was a great learning experience.

- What are your goals for the SGP and the next winter season?

PF: I hope to have a lot of good training this summer and also some good results to build confidence for the winter. Next winter I want to consistently place in the top 30 for World Cup and also be named to the Olympic Team.

- Do you look forward to the second Olympic Games that you participate in?

PF: I am very excited at the opportunity to make my second Olympic team. In Vancouver I was very young and inexperienced I hope if I am able to make the team I will be able to be a bit more competitive.

- Do you want to let the world know something personal about you? What are your hobbies?

PF: During my time off I love to play golf and I play a lot of basketball. I also enjoy being out on the lake during the summer months in Lake Placid.

- How did it happen that you started with ski-jumping instead of a more common American kind of sport?

PF: I started skiing when I was about 2 years old and at age 6 I attended a learn to jump camp and loved it and stuck with it. When I was younger I played other sports as well, Including baseball and American Football. When I was really young it was my dream to be a professional football player but I quickly realized I was much too small for that and should probably stick with ski jumping

- How does your search for a sponsor work?

PF: It is tough to find sponsors being an American ski jumper, as your average person in the US has no idea what ski jumping is. Our team works hard to find sponsors for us and also family and friends.

- What would be the best thing that you would like to achieve in ski-jumping?

PF: I would love make ski jumping a more well known sport in the United States, and maybe winning an Olympic medal one day wouldn't be so bad either.

- Is it hard to be away from home for so long during the hot phases of the season?

PF: It is very hard being away from home during the winter. I think last winter from October until April I was home a total of three days. It's tough not being able to see friends or family for that long. Living out of a suitcase and moving from hotel to hotel is not the most ideal situation but it's the sacrifice I have to make being an American skier.

- How is ski-jumping seen in the states?

PF: Ski Jumping is a very unknown sport throughout most of the US. Sometimes ill tell people I am a ski jumper and they will look at me like im crazy because they have never heard of it before. There are a few places where it is popular, I'm sure any jumper who has been to Iron Mountain will agree with this.

- How is it to be in a collaboration with the Canadian team and to excercise along with Mackenzie Boyd-Clowes?

PF: Mackenzie and I are really good friends so It's fun to have him travel and train with our team. We like to joke around a lot, but we also push each other to be better.

- How will your time until the start of the SGP look like? Will you have a training camp?

PF: Our team is having our first training camp in New Hampshire at our team doctor's clinic this next week. We will do a lot of physical training and make sure we are ready to go for the season. Then I will be flying out to park city for a jumping camp before we attend the first COC competitions of the year.

Thanks a lot for this interview, Peter. Good luck and lots of success for the training camps, as well as the Summer-Grand-Prix and the next winter season. We also keep our fingers crossed for you in the Olympic Games!

• Interview by Peggy Kierstan (@pikayartist)