When Lucas Braathen returned this year to skiing, he came back as a man on a mission. For him, the main aim was not to win trophies and competitions, even though that is pretty important. Lucas wanted to inspire people to follow their dreams, no matter the circumstances. He is part of those people who like to cause a sensation in this odd world set up with rules and norms.

Lucas believes that sports is all about diversity and wants every athlete to be different. “If we were all just as good skiers and we all looked the same and we all talked in the same way, then would you ever watch a ski race? No, you probably wouldn’t,” he said, talking to Olympics.com. The skier is not afraid of standing out himself as he flaunts his colorful nails and offbeat ski gear sometimes while competing.

He is a man who likes to inspire change. Thus, it comes as no surprise to learn that his arrival in Brazil has already shaken up things for the future of the sport in the country. Gustavo Haidar, a representative of the Brazil team, said that they’re extremely excited to have Lucas on board. They cannot wait to see what this transfer means for the future of the sport in the South American country.

For the first time ever, they seem to have a legitimate chance of getting a hands-on medal at the Winter Olympics, making things even more special. For this to come to fruition, they’re trying their best to help Lucas. Talking to Powder.com, the representative said, “We are giving him freedom to build his own team and work with his own planning, and after that, we are trying to create some budget for him, but we are small and limited.”

He added, “The Brazilian Olympic Committee, together with our Brazilian Federation, are trying to raise funds to provide support for everything.” The representative ended the conversation reaffirming that the goal remains to win a medal at the Olympics in 2026. While that remains the long-term aim, short-term changes are already visible in the Brazilians after Lucas Braathen’s arrival. The country, mainly known for its soccer and volleyball, seems to be quite welcoming to accepting skiing too.

Thus, the fan support for the sport keeps increasing day by day, and hopefully by the time Lucas reaches Milan Cortina, he will have a whole army behind him. This would make his switch to Brazil very fruitful.

Lucas Braathen’s interesting switch from Norway to Brazil

Lucas Braathen announced that he was switching allegiance to Brazil to compete at the FIS Ski World Cup one year after announcing his retirement from the sport at the mere age of 23. The skier had decided after a disagreement with the Norwegian FA, where he had competed before. This apparently had taken quite a toll on him, as he felt that he had lost his love for the sport.

In the press conference where he announced his retirement, he said, “For the first time in at least half a year, after making this decision, I feel happy. For the first time in many years, I feel free, and everyone who knows me knows that freedom is one of my greatest sources for success and happiness.” This was surprising coming from a skier of his talent, which made the skiing community really feel that he was done for good. But eventually, his love for the sport won, and he came back, this time to represent his mother’s country.

There is no doubt that he’s enjoying the experience too, as he celebrated his fourth-place finish in his comeback race at Solden with some incredible Brazilian Samba moves. “I’m so proud of what I achieved today, and I hope I will get to do a whole lot more,” he later told Powder.com. Thus, hopefully, his new relationship with the country works out and both go on to achieve great things together.