Four weeks without his family because of X Games: Emotional trip to America for snowboarder Scherrer

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In the freestyle scene they are the pinnacle: the X Games in Aspen (USA). Only a handful of riders have been invited to the exclusive show event in the Rocky Mountains. Everyone who is there knows: I am one of the best freestylers in the world. Such as Jan Scherrer (29). But this year’s invitation to Aspen didn’t just make people from Eastern Switzerland jump for joy.

Because Scherrer and his wife Sasha became parents of little Sienna in the summer of 2022. “To be honest, since our daughter was born, I’ve lost some of the joy of traveling,” he says. The Scherrers expected that having a child would make everything a little more complicated. “But I didn’t expect it would be so hard for me to leave without her. It’s a strange feeling,” says the freestyler. Now the young family is faced with a particularly difficult time. Scherrer will be separated from Sasha and Sienna for a month.

Mammoth program in the US

“When I saw the competition calendar, I was really upset,” says the 2022 Olympic bronze medalist. The snowboarders are on the road for four weeks in a row. Less than 24 hours after the final at the Laax Open, Scherrer was already on a plane to the US. After the X Games we continue directly with the World Cup in Mammoth Mountain, California, followed by the World Cup in Calgary.

“It is physically extremely challenging to compete at the highest level for so long,” says Scherrer about the tight schedule. “At the same time, it is a huge burden for my wife to handle everything at home alone.” Family thoughts take up a lot of space in Scherrer’s mind. Especially if he has time to think after training. «If I am on the board, everything is fine, I can realize my passion. But when I’m in my room at night, I sometimes wonder: hey, what are you doing here? You should be with your wife and daughter!”

Cancellation of family visit to training camp

Daughter Sienna is currently not participating in the competition. Sleeping through the night is not their strong point, says the man from Eastern Switzerland, laughing. When his wife and daughter Scherrer came to visit the training camp in the fall, the little one had such restless nights that the family had to abandon the attempt. Sasha and Sienna left again, leaving Jan alone. “There are certainly jobs that you can easily combine with family life as a winter sports enthusiast,” is his conclusion.

But his somewhat ‘special job’, as Scherrer describes his profession, also brings great benefits. Especially in the summer, when the five-time X Games participant doesn’t need snow to train. Then he is a full-time father. «Between April and September I spend every day with my daughter. So much family time is great.”

Source : Blick