What do you think?
Rate this book
Wild Shot: Life Lessons of a Cross Country Skier Turned Biathlete
Wild Shot is outwardly about the external physical demands of the winter sports of Cross Country Skiing and Biathlon. Author Andy Liebner discovers that sport is not just about training and competition; it’s a metaphor for a deeper aspect of life. Sport is a quest! To rise to the top requires a heroic journey to encounter and overcome external and internal barriers, and Andy runs into far more of them than you might think possible. The barriers are relentless. But he learns that his biggest enemy is inside his head and if he masters his fears then he wins.
“Ever wondered what it would be like to compete at the highest levels of a sport? Now, image doing it without a support system of coaches, money, or a team. This is Andy Liebner’s story of how a young guy with a big dream decided to go it on his own against the biggest stars on the skiing and biathlon world circuit. While biathlon is not a sport most Americans recognize, the Europeans pour money into training facilities, gear and athlete development. With none of these advantages Andy sets out to train himself and take it to the Europeans on their home turf. His inspiration is both familiar and unique. While mental and physical training are key for many types of endurance sports, the shooting and skiing skills of Biathlon are special. The competitions are bare-knuckle shoot outs in some of the toughest weather and high mountain terrain. Andy’s journey is not an easy one and the challenges off the course often seem bigger than those encountered in competition. This exciting story couples the high speed twists and turns of a ski run with the human roller coaster of emotion.” – Janet Conway PhD.
“Ever wondered what it would be like to compete at the highest levels of a sport? Now, image doing it without a support system of coaches, money, or a team. This is Andy Liebner’s story of how a young guy with a big dream decided to go it on his own against the biggest stars on the skiing and biathlon world circuit. While biathlon is not a sport most Americans recognize, the Europeans pour money into training facilities, gear and athlete development. With none of these advantages Andy sets out to train himself and take it to the Europeans on their home turf. His inspiration is both familiar and unique. While mental and physical training are key for many types of endurance sports, the shooting and skiing skills of Biathlon are special. The competitions are bare-knuckle shoot outs in some of the toughest weather and high mountain terrain. Andy’s journey is not an easy one and the challenges off the course often seem bigger than those encountered in competition. This exciting story couples the high speed twists and turns of a ski run with the human roller coaster of emotion.” – Janet Conway PhD.
308 pages, Paperback
First published December 21, 2011
9 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 19, 2018
When I first started this book, I predicted that I would not finish it, which in my system, would have rated it a 1. I couldn't quite get the author's writing style, and wondered why an editor had not cleaned up his prose. But then I got into the book, and found myself wondering "Who IS this guy"? Before long, I was quite taken with his adventurous and thoughtful attitude, and the many details of wonderful Nordic venues & races he provides. I was surprised to find myself eventually glad the rhythm of his writing had not been cleaned up, because it is completely him. By the end, I had not once flipped to the back to see how much was left to read, I was too involved, wondering what crazy adventure lay around the next page. That bumped it up to a 4 for me.
My son is a ski racer, so I am familiar with much of what the author writes about, though at a much lower level. I highly recommend this wild adventure to anyone who is familiar with ski racing or biathlon. I don't think the general non-skiing public will get as much out of it as someone familiar with the sport.
Who is this guy? He appears to be one terrific skier, a good-hearted person, and quite the nut. If that appeals to you, read his book!
My son is a ski racer, so I am familiar with much of what the author writes about, though at a much lower level. I highly recommend this wild adventure to anyone who is familiar with ski racing or biathlon. I don't think the general non-skiing public will get as much out of it as someone familiar with the sport.
Who is this guy? He appears to be one terrific skier, a good-hearted person, and quite the nut. If that appeals to you, read his book!
Displaying 1 of 1 review