Dave Ryding is living in the moment as he gears up for an incredible eighth world championships.
Britain's most successful skier of all-time, the 'Rocket' is refusing to slow down at age 38. Instead he is looking to better his best-ever finish of ninth at a world championships in Saalbach, Austria.
Headlining a 14-strong British alpine team from 4-16 February, the four-time Olympian continues to amaze with his continued skill on the slopes after so many years.
And when it comes to his own performance this season, he's not putting any boundaries on what he can acheive.
"In the last three years since Beijing 2022, I've done really well on living in the moment rather than a four year cycle," he said.
"I was 35 at the last Olympics and it's an unknown entity as to where I'll be on a yearly basis, so I think that mentality is what has enabled me to go all-in for each 12 months.
𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐀 𝐑𝐔𝐍!@daveryding wins Great Britain's 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 Alpine Skiing World Cup gold! 🥇🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/MrXnyPkKku
— Eurosport (@eurosport) January 22, 2022
"I've had a great start to the season this year with three top 10s before Christmas and then I've been solid after.
"It's a constant process of trying to build up to the worlds. I want to know that I've left everything out on the slope on the day. It's not something I've always managed to do during a world champs, but I want to go there thinking this is the last one, which it probably is for me."
Ryding admitted that there has been no surprise in his continued success at his age, he is just really good at skiing.
Instead, the surprise this season came in how well he was doing on new equipment, having kicked off his season with seventh, eighth and ninth place finishes despite the recent change in skis.
"I completely switched my equipment to the company HEAD this season," he said.
"Skis and boots are really an extension to your body, you've got to really feel what's going on throughout the whole ski, relearning the different feels and lines that you have to take.
"I was really surprised at the start of the season how well I was doing but it's about making the equipment work on all conditions.
"I'm still tweaking a few things but it's coming along nicely."
An equipment change isn't the only thing that Ryding has had added to his life since the last Olympic Games.
The downhill skier became a father for the first time in 2022 and now has his wife and daughter Nina's support spurring him on.
It's meant that Ryding has slightly adapted his training to make sure he can spend as much time with his family as possibly before heading back to the slopes.
He said: "The best thing I did was slightly change my summer training schedule and really focus on the physcial side which I can do out of my own house in the UK and means I can spend a lot of time with my family.
"Then from September 1st I go back to the job on the road."
Whether his wife and daughter are watching on from home or on the side of the slopes, Ryding knows that living in the moment has been worth it this Olympic cycle.
"Being a father has given me a whole new perspective to life and when I speak to her in the between runs it's a real calming effect for me honestly," he added.
"I've focussed on being as fit as I can be every year this cycle and that's what I've really enjoyed doing.
"This worlds is about taking care of my performance and knowing I've gone all in to see where it puts me. I want to put out a really good performance."
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