As a freshman, Mt. Blue High School’s Peter Smith found his physical condition was holding him back from accomplishing his desired goals on the ski slopes.
Smith began the arduous task of changing his lifestyle by focusing on a longterm goal of developing a healthy living attitude.
A self-described plump freshmen with a voracious appetite, Smith started training and never looked back. His goal was simple: Improve on what he did yesterday and to become as good an athlete as he could.
This winter, a slim Smith, now a senior, reached his goal by capturing the Class A skimeister award with an impressive performance in the extremely tough four-event competition. His skiing strengths were on the Alpine trails, while he pushed himself to become an outstanding Nordic skier, as well.
For his efforts, Smith has been named the Morning Sentinel Boys Alpine Skier of the Year. Also considered were Andy Calder of Skowhegan, Tory Quinn of Waterville and Luke Hammond of Rangeley.
“Peter has worked harder to get to the level of skiing he has reached then any other skier I have coached,” Mt. Blue Alpine coach Mark Cyr said. “He went through a tremendous weight loss program that helped increase his ability to move effectively.”
Added Smith: “My senior year was what I aimed for. I am really pleased with my accomplishments, but I am also proud of being part of such a great team.”
Smith was a key piece of Mt. Blue’s success this season, helping the Cougars win the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference and Class A overall titles.
“Peter had a fantastic season for us, both as an individual and as a team skier,” Cyr said. “As a skimeister he really maintained his fitness level and at the same time was able to become one of the better Alpine skiers in the state.”
Recently Smith was named to Maine’s Eastern High School Championship team, as one of the top Alpine skiers in the state, along with being named an alternate for the state Nordic team
“I am very proud to get on the Eastern team for Alpine and to be named an alternate for Nordic,” Smith said. “It was awesome.”
Early in his high school career, Smith discovered the benefits of training in the offseason, along with maintaining a consistent diet. Although he does admit to slipping occasionally, he has been self-motivated to stay on course.
“Offseason is just as important as what you do during the season if you want to change,” Smith said. “I ran a lot over the summer and ran cross country in the fall which was huge.
“Sometimes you need to take a break and I really like to eat. You still have to remain focused, using self-discipline to keep moving toward what you are after.”
Smith’s focus was evident this winter, culminating in the Class A skimeister title. He also finished second in the KVAC skimeister competition, placed in the top seven in three of the four championship Alpine races and earned top 20 Nordic finishes, helping to boost the Cougars to team titles.