TPM Episode 52: Alex Schlopy, Former Pro Skier

Alex Schlopy set a goal for himself going into the 2014 Olympic Games:  In his words it was “make the Olympics or I’d rather be dead.”  Unfortunately, Alex missed making the US Olympic Team by the slimmest of margins and decided to seek out crack and heroin to dull his pain and follow through on the ‘or I’d rather part’.  A few suicide attempts and an arrest later, Alex went to treatment and is currently getting back into the sport he loves.   He’s young and still has a chance to regain all that he thought he threw away.  Hear his whole story on the podcast

 

Alex Schlopy Show Notes

1:30:  Skiing for the first time in a long time

2:45:  Coming from a famous family and family growing up

7:00:  Getting into skiing and other sports in his life

10:10:  Taking gymnastics to snow and working with Mike Hanley

12:30:   Evo (Use the code TPM10 for 10% off at checkout) and  RESQWATER (enter the code resqwatertpm for a 20% discount on a 12 pack) 

13:45:  Full of energy and toilet papering and did he get in trouble?

16:32:  Winning the VT Open, getting sponsors and money

20:00:  Filming with TGR and getting a RED camera

23:00:  Getting into a bad car crash and the concussion

27:30:  Drinking and the perception of him

30:00:  Why does he hate himself?

33:00:  When does he move out of the house and what is 2011 like for him?

34:59:  First X-Games, getting into big air, winning and the JOI event

37:00:  Getting real money in 2011, almost getting arrested and other incidents

45:00:    10Barrel Brewery and The Summit at Snoqualmie (use the code Powell18 to get pre-season pass prices)

46:30:  How does he spend his money and partying/skiing

49:30:  The goal that was the worst idea of his life

51:05:  Olympic qualifying and Joss  

56:15: Sponsors at this point and Ruroc Helmets

59:52:  The end of skiing and the start of drugs

1:08:16:  Suicide attempts

1:13:00:  He gets arrested and what does his family think about him at this time?

1:15:00:  How does recovery happen?

1:19:00:  Concussions and the impact they’ve had on him 

1:23:00:  What’s next?