The Best You - A Coaching Podcast: Personal Growth Through Real Conversations · Gary Gillan

The Business of Being an Olympian: Balancing Athletic Excellence with Personal Growth with Courtney Hoffos

·54 min·3 clips

Even as the best athlete in the country, you're still paying thousands just to have the right to compete.

This episode of The Best You features host Gary in conversation with Canadian Olympic ski cross athlete Courtney Hoffos. They explore the dual demands of elite athletic performance and the business acumen required to sustain a career in professional sports. Courtney, a World Cup medalist and 2022 Olympian, is actively preparing for the 2026 Winter Games in Milan-Cortina. Courtney transitioned to ski cross from alpine racing after injuries diminished her passion, finding the head-to-head format reignited her competitive fire. She details the financial reality for Canadian athletes, explaining the "carding" system provides a basic stipend that often doesn't cover living expenses. Athletes frequently pay substantial team fees, sometimes reaching $30,000 in alpine skiing, creating a "pay-to-play" dynamic at the highest level. Securing sponsorships is a personal hustle, requiring athletes to build their own brand through cold outreach and networking. Courtney describes sponsorship tiers, with logos on headgear and shoulder patches being the most valuable for TV exposure. She balances this entrepreneurial work with intense summer training, which involves two daily gym sessions and meticulous recovery. Her recent completion of a business degree in supply chain and entrepreneurship from the University of Calgary provided a crucial mental break from sport. Reflecting on her Olympic debut in Beijing, Courtney was most struck by the overwhelming support from her small hometown community in Windermere, BC. She notes the upcoming Milan Games will offer more networking opportunities compared to the restricted, bubble environment of the COVID-impacted Beijing Olympics. A key insight is that sponsorship success rarely comes automatically, even after achieving milestones like making a national team or the Olympics. Courtney emphasizes the importance of providing value to sponsors beyond logo placement, such as hosting client ski days or speaking at corporate events about teamwork. She finds LinkedIn a surprisingly effective platform for professional outreach compared to other social media. The conversation reveals that many athletes must live with family support longer than average due to financial constraints. Courtney argues that having a side focus, like her studies or sponsor relations, actually provides a necessary mental balance to the monotony of training. She believes understanding the "why" behind each training exercise—like how power cleans translate to start gate explosiveness—is crucial for motivation. The tone is conversational and educational, blending an interview format with practical advice and personal anecdotes. It maintains a down-to-earth and inspiring mood, focusing on real-world challenges beyond athletic glory. This episode is ideal for aspiring athletes, sports management students, or anyone interested in the behind-the-scenes business of high-performance sports. Listeners seeking purely motivational sports stories without the logistical and financial realities might find less value here.

As heard by us

A practical look at the sponsorship realities behind Olympic ambition.

Courtney Hoffos is strongest here when the discussion stays on the business side of elite sport. Gary gives her space to break down how sponsorships really work, from headgear and shoulder patches to in-kind support, social posts, and smaller collaborations, while keeping the…

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Hear how a Canadian Olympian handles the business side of ski cross while preparing for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Italy.

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