In His Heart Of Hearts , All He Wants To Do Is Ski
Sydney Morning Herald
Saturday July 12, 2003
If he were a horse, he'd be Phar Lap.
Cooma schoolboy Ben Sim , 17, with his big heart and efficient use of oxygen, is the champion of the Australian Institute of Sport's dreaded treadmill.
He lasted 34 minutes and 30 seconds on the test, which starts slowly but gets so fast and steep that there are cushions surrounding the machine to catch athletes when they fall off. Only a few elite endurance athletes have survived beyond 25 minutes.
``You keep going until you kill yourself," Sim said. ``I try and trick my mind by thinking there is only 30 seconds to the finish and then tell myself only another 30 seconds. You just nod if you think you can go another 30 seconds. I was a bit of a mess at the finish."
Like marathon runners or cyclists, cross-country skiers like Sim need to be highly efficient at using oxygen, and Sim has already been identified as highly talented.
He is a member of the NSW Institute of Sport, and his results at such a young age show that his potential is virtually unlimited.
Dave Martin, a senior physiologist at the national institute, said he was stunned Sim lasted so long on the treadmill, although he knew from previous tests that he was ``one out of the box".
He said Sim had a big heart and could adapt to aerobic overloads. ``When you look at how young Ben is, there is even scope for improvement."
Sim said he had always been good at endurance events, and in the skiing off-season he cycles, runs half-marathons and roller-skis to keep fit. His treadmill results have prompted debate about whether he should continue in cross-country skiing a highly technical sport that requires a lot of experience and specialist coaching or switch sports.
Talent scouts from cycling and distance running are already circling. But Sim wants to stick to his skiing and, despite lack of financial support, he is eyeing a top-five finish at the World Junior Championships by 2005.
``I like cross-country skiing the best," he said, remaining loyal to his Russian-born coach, Nick Almoukov . ``I have always liked to push myself."
Earlier this year, Sim finished 25th in the men's 30-kilometre freestyle at the World Junior Championships in Sweden, where he was the youngest competitor. At the Open World Championships in Italy he was 66th in the 15-kilometre event.
He trains five hours on the snow each day between studies. But this year, once his schooling is finished, Sim will focus on his skiing, perhaps basing himself part-time in Russia. Next stop: the 2006 Turin Winter Games.
© 2003 Sydney Morning Herald
