Surrounded by a slew of Olympic hopefuls at Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, Brett Denney knew the exposure factor was on his side. Combine that with a relentless work ethic, and it’s no surprise Denney was called up to the U.S. Ski Team in 2009.

Known for his resiliency, Denney overcame offseason shin surgery to place in the top 20 for two of the first three Continental Cups this season. A consistent upward trend has been key to the success of the 2009 North American Junior Champion, as he broke onto the World Cup in that same year and finished eighth in the Park City/Soldier Hollow Continental Cup in 2011.

Injuries hampered the rest of Denney’s 2013 campaign, but the Colorado native has his eyes on another strong comeback and an Olympic berth in 2014.

BRETT SAYS
I didn’t have many competitions this season, so my focus was to make every day count. I started the season very strong, skiing some of the fastest times at the opening Continental Cups in Park City.

After having such a long time off competitions in the middle of the season and then injuring myself at the next competition, I never quite got back to the same form. While it was disappointing, it was also another season to look at as a lesson.

Looking forward, I hope to be able to have more consistency when it comes to skiing well during competitions, even if our competition season is cut short again. Next season I hope to start off strong and keep improving. I need to make big improvements in my jumping, and this summer that will be my main focus.

FIRST TRACKS

Denney started on the hill as an alpine skier. However, after the influence of friends, Denney decided to try ski jumping around the age of seven. Since then, Denney has not looked back and keeps nordic combined as his main focus. As an eight-year-old, Denney was often seen wearing a brightly colored Jonny Moseley 1998 Bula Olympic hat, given to him by Steamboat Olympian Dave Jarrett, who, ironically, is now his coach.

OFF THE SNOW

When he’s not competing, you can find Denney in the outdoors biking, backcountry skiing or pitching a tent. “After a long season of being with the team, it's nice to go on some solo adventures and mix it up with as many other activities outside of skiing that I can. It helps me be fresh for the upcoming training and competition season.” Some of his outdoor focus is going into competitive road cycling, joining several of his nordic combined teammates on the Cole Sport Racing team. Denney is also putting focus on education, continuing his studies at Westminster College as a part of the U.S. Ski Team’s partnership.