At 21, Trevor Philp has redefined the term overachiever: First-Team All American honours with the University of Denver, an NCAA championship, two top-30 world cup results and two starts for Canada at the Winter Olympics in Sochi.
The alpine racer crammed a career’s worth of results into 2014, all the while finishing the third year of his finance degree.
“It was a great year on so many levels,” Philp said. “It was so great to represent Canada and it was a successful season winning NCAA championships.”
Back in the Bow Valley for NorAm finals at Nakiska, Philp wrapped up his ski season with two more medals and the knowledge he’s leading a group of new alpine student athletes.
“I hope I blaze a trail for others to follow,” said Philp, who will head back to the classroom next week. “It keeps me busy. While some others get a chance to rest, I go back to school.”
Splitting the year skiing for the University of Denver and Alpine Canada, Philp began his world cup season with a 30th-place giant slalom finish in Beaver Creek, Colorado and a 27th in Val D’Isere, France. After returning to North America, he tore up the NCAA scene with a string of gold medals on the highly competitive U.S. college circuit.
As one of Canada’s top prospects, he was selected to represent Canada in Sochi, where he was 25th in the giant slalom, and DNF’d his second slalom start.
“The Olympics were totally incredible. At the start of the year, they were a dream. As the season progressed they became more of a reality. It was hard to believe, but getting there was pretty insane. It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced,” Philp said.
He arrived on day six of the Games and watched Canadian teammate Jan Hudec win bronze in the super-G, which motivated him to reach for the podium.
“It was incredible to see the medal up close. That got us all fired up,” Philp said.
He had a strong second run in the giant slalom that allowed him to crack the top 25, but didn’t finish the notoriously difficult and frequently criticized slalom course, built by Croatian coach Ante Kostelich. Thirteen of the best 30 slalom skiers, including Philp, did not finish the run, while Kostelich’s son Ivica won silver.
“It was definitely one of the hardest slalom courses I’ve ever skied. It kept changing and there was no rhythm,” Philp said.
Despite the controversy, Philp returned to school, working closely with Alpine Canada and the University of Denver to stay on top of his training. School allowed him to shift his schedule, while Alpine Canada allowed him to skip races so the race and course load wasn’t too heavy.
That doesn’t mean Philp didn’t work hard.
Throughout the school season, he woke up at 6 a.m., caught the bus to the hill at 6:45, trained for four hours and returned to class by noon. After four hours of school, he’d head home to eat dinner, tune his skis and finish his homework.
“Then I get up and do it all over again,” Philp said.
Training with Alpine Canada, he’d spend more time training at the hill, but would still need to finish homework in his off-time.
The University of Denver was more than happy to work with his schedule, considering Philp helped the school capture its 22nd national alpine NCAA title. He posted second and fourth-place finishes at the championships, but said the experience was more about teamwork.
“It’s a different sort of excitement. I love both. At school, it’s more team-oriented. Everyone is helping out during the day. When you’re not skiing, you’re cheering your team at the top or at the bottom,” Philp said. “There’s no FIS points, so you’re strictly racing for the team.”
Philp’s family bought a second home in downtown Canmore and took Trevor skiing every weekend as a child. His father still lives in Canmore, while Trevor usually splits his time between Calgary and Denver. He spent Christmas in Canmore this year and said it’s still one of his favourite places to chill out.
“If I’m not skiing, I just relax in the mountains,” Philp said.
After March break, he’ll increase his course load and hit the gym to prepare for next season.
“I’ll be back in the gym this summer, trying to get a little stronger and a little faster,” Philp said. “I hope to graduate next spring and should be a full-time skier.”
