Written by Jasmine Oberai Year 12, Editor-In-Chief LGB Express
Born in Geneva, Jack O’Neill has started 12th grade juggling competitive skiing along with the notorious IB workload.
He encompasses all that an exceptional student should; grit, perseverance and motivation, which is why we gave him a platform to share his experiences.
Explain briefly what you do.
I’m a semi professional alpine ski racer competing for Britain.
How and when did you start skiing?
My parents first moved to Geneva about 23 years ago and began skiing in Chamonix, when I was about a year old they took me along. That was the first time I put skis on, during a little family holiday in France. We took it further from there and I started racing at the age of six and haven’t stopped since.
What has been your proudest moment in your skiing career so far?
A highlight was making the national team for England, so I get to race for my country. Getting short listed for two youth olympics, the first time I was 15 and now I’m 17. Podiuming several times at National Championships has definitely been amazing. We’ve got the English national champs in 2 weeks and I’m really hoping to do well!
Is it difficult to manage studies and a highly competitive sport?
I ski all year round, these last two years I missed 3 months in total of school, although this year I don’t plan on missing as much because of the IB. I’ve had to balance school and skiing and as result sacrifice training. At times it can be very difficult but it depends on which teachers you have during the years. Some teachers are proactive and send work on a daily basis so that I can get it done. Our ski team actually has a program where if you’re still in school, you spend 6 hours in the morning skiing and then you have four hours of school in the afternoon. They drive you to the local Austrian school and you actually sit in class rooms with tutors and we do our work there. Balancing it out is actually really easy, when I have proactive teachers but in the last few years I have had teachers who are not so proactive and who don’t send me work, and that’s when it becomes difficult. Apart from that as long as I stay disciplined and do my work, it’s not that bad.
Is there anything you would have done differently?
I would have probably gone to a sports specific school, one that really focuses on athletes and is catered towards them, as opposed to going to a normal school. Apart from that I don’t think there is anything I would do differently, it’s worked out quite well.
Is there any thing you wish the school did differently to facilitate your school life?
Maybe embrace sport a bit better, I know our P.E and general sports program is not very effective. The school could have done a bit more to help me with the transition, and promote what I do.
What are your hopes for the future? Will you continue to ski?
Although I may not see my future in the sport, I am currently working harder than ever on my skiing. I do want to go to university and continue to ski there, hopefully on the basis of a sports scholarship. I’m thinking of applying to England mainly, but a few schools in the US look promising as well. I’ve been told that Uni skiing is really fun and I feel like it would be a good thing for me. I will go on to study sports-science, it’s my best subject and the one that interests me the most.
Do you have any advice for those who are planning to compete at national level in sports during their schooling years?
Work. You have to work. If the teachers are doing their part and sending you work, you have to do your part and complete it. Consistently ask them for work, even if they don’t send anything to you, don’t take it as a sign to sit back and chill. Don’t complain or make excuses and just do the work.
