How Ownership Built an Olympian

Every athlete faces moments that define their career, the crossroads where frustration could lead to quitting or ownership could spark a breakthrough. For Olympic mogul skier Nick Page, that turning point came at just 17 years old.

Nick had just completed his first season on the World Cup circuit, finishing 28th in the world. For most athletes, that ranking might sound impressive. But Nick felt stuck. He had spent a year competing at the highest level, yet saw no improvements, no momentum, no clear path forward. “I didn’t really know what I was doing,” he admits. “I was starting the next season in the exact same place as before.”

And then the world shut down.

When the pandemic hit, training facilities closed, competitions were canceled, and routines were thrown out the window. For a teenage athlete still finding his way, it could have been the end of progress. Instead, Nick made a choice that would alter the course of his career: he decided to take ownership.

“I built a gym in my basement,” he says. “My whole plan was to do more than what was being asked of me. From the time I was 17 to when I turned 18, I was going to be a completely different athlete.”

What started as basement workouts quickly became something bigger, a mindset shift. Nick wasn’t just checking boxes anymore. He was setting his own standard, pushing past the minimums, and taking full responsibility for his growth.

The results were immediate. When competition returned, Nick opened the season with his first-ever top 10 World Cup finish. At the very next event, he stood on his first World Cup podium. In a single season, he leapt from 28th in the world to 9th.

“The biggest thing I took from that year was ownership,” Nick reflects. “I wasn’t just another person on the team doing what everyone else was doing. I was doing my own thing, and I really valued that independence. That turning point has carried through the rest of my career.”

For Nick, the lesson is clear: progress doesn’t come from waiting on circumstances to change. It comes from claiming ownership, persevering through setbacks, and building the habits that compound over time.

And that’s exactly what he’s sharing now as a mentor with Back The Team.

Because when young athletes learn to own their training, their confidence, and their growth, they stop waiting for breakthroughs to happen. They start creating them.