The Olympics are the holy grail for most sportspersons around the world. However, the hope to make it to the mountain is not limited to athletes. History suggests that many independent athletes, some from non-sporting backgrounds, have made it to competitions in the past. Jasna Sekaric and Aranka Binder from former Yugoslavia are two prime examples from the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Now, in an attempt to join them, a 39-year-old former software CEO is willing to turn his life around to make it to the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. Max Valverde is the father of 3 children, who has also gone on to describe himself as an overweight man. Now, putting all obstacles aside, he is eyeing the 2026 Winter Olympics as he prepares for Ski Mountaineering or Skimo.
Max Valverde moved from Amsterdam to Park City, Utah two years ago after he sold his business there. His fitness journey started around a year ago when he quit the post of CEO for his Olympic dream. He has been eyeing the 5-year mark since then, to achieve his target weight by the 2026 Winter Olympics.
His journey to the Olympics will set an example for his kids
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In an interview with Inside Edition, Valverde said, “I wanted to show our kids after selling the software company what hard work is”, explaining the core reason behind this life-changing decision that Valverde made at his age. He continued, “I could take a couple of years off, just drink a ton of beers… But, I also want them to know what hard work is and what working towards a goal looks like”, justifying his reason behind choosing such an uphill task for himself.
Valverde is aware that losing weight and being fully fit before the Winter Olympics is an unbelievably daring task. But at the same time, he is also aware that if he succeeds, it is also a fulfilling and inspiring task. Valverde is currently 15 pounds heavier than the European World Cup winners and he is determined to reduce that gap.
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He said, “Sometimes I’ll do a four-hour ski or four-hour run, I’ll run 15 or 20 miles up through the mountains or something, and I need to eat over 1,000 calories during that, otherwise my glycogen stores get too low”. His efforts are currently paying off as he stands at rank 12 at the Nationals in Skimo. But, despite all his efforts, Valverde is also perfectly aware of the practicalities that stand in front of him.
He fights for his goal undeterred by circumstances
Valverde knows that there are his chances of making it to the Winter Olympics are slim, and given his middle age and being overweight, trolls on the Internet always give him a hard time. But Valverde’s determination is rigid. He said, “There’s a probable chance I do not make the Olympic team—the fact that there is a chance, I find that tantalizing”. Despite the near-impossibility of the goal itself, Valverde was tempted by the idea of “what the human body can do”. There has been no stopping him since.
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As of today, he continues his training and has a few more hurdles before he has a chance of making it. Skimo offers 36 spots in the Winter Olympics for pro athletes and 18 of them are for men. Those spots will finally be decided by the 2024-2025 season. Valverde is pushing hard to be one of those 18 men.
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