Lydia Lassila

Freestyle aerial skier Lydia Lassila talks about juggling competing and family

My kids and my family take priority because they're the ones that I share all these experiences with, they're the ones that I share each moment with.

Without relationships, and people that you love, and family and friends you know, you could have all the gold medals in the world, but if you've got no one to share them with, you've got nothing.

Hi. I'm Lydia Lassila, I'm a frestyle aerial skier. [I am] a gold medallist from the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, a bronze in Sochi 2014, and a mum of two, and of course, a wife.

[At] my first Olympics as a 19 year old and, aerial skiing was all I had, it was so important. It was the only thing that I cared about and, to now, having been to four Olympics and heading into my fifth, being a mum of two we, I certainly have different things in life.

We have two children our two boys, Kai who six, and Alec is two-and-a-half, the kids have enriched my life so much and it's been amazing to be able to bring them on this adventure, as well with my husband who's also so supportive and always by my side.

Without the dAIS funding you know, I don't think I would have had this type of longevity as an athlete.

It just wouldn't have been possible to bring them along for travel and bring them along to camps.

Prior to a family and prior to kids we'd utilise funding in a different way, I'd utilize it for an extra edge on my competitors, whether it's extra mental training or an extra camp or whatever, it might be or a piece of equipment that I needed.

And it's amazing now, you know, with children and a family, this funding is so important to be able to bring them along with me for the journey because without them
I'm not happy, and if they weren't with me then I wouldn't be competing so my career probably would have been cut short after Vancouver 2010 really if I couldn't bring the family along.

My preparations are going okay. I suppose leading into PyeongChang. It's difficult to juggle everything - I'm in a different phase of my career, it's kind of transitioning to life after sports, so I'd be really happy to make it to a fifth Olympics And I wouldn't go there unless I believed I was still competitive, which I am, and hoping for you know a top-three result.