Central Otago sportsperson of the year Janina Kuzma is looking forward to her first winter in 10 years without a single competitive event on her calendar.
But the lack of a competition does not mean the high-flying, freeski, halfpipe professional is taking a break.
The 30-year-old told the Otago Daily Times yesterday she would instead spend most of the winter in Wanaka training hard in the gym, on the trampoline and at her ‘‘home mountain'', Cardrona.
‘‘I'm really excited. This is the first winter where I haven't had any competitions, so I can actually really concentrate on training and perfecting my tricks.''
Ms Kuzma won the Bruce Grant Memorial Trophy for sportsperson of the year at the Central Otago Sports Awards on Friday.
Regarded as New Zealand's top female freeskier, Ms Kuzma is aiming to qualify for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
The qualifying period begins in December, at the World Cup in Colorado.
Ms Kuzma, who is a freeski veteran, said she had no retirement plans.
‘‘Age isn't a factor, I think. If you are still progressing, if you are healthy and you are fit, you can keep going for as long as you really want to, I think.
‘‘You still have a lot of the older girls that are still really pushing the sport and are still doing really well, and they're really inspiring.''
Ms Kuzma said she ‘‘didn't get as many podiums'' as she would have liked during the northern hemisphere season but had made improvements and was ‘‘stoked'' to end the season injury-free.
‘‘I'm glad I've got a 10-week training block about to happen back in the gym before another big winter.''
Ms Kuzma said she would be attending a two-and-a-half-week New Zealand ‘‘progression camp'' at Mt Hood in Oregon in 10 weeks.
She will also feature in the film Shades of Winter, due to premiere in Munich in September.
