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Nathaniel Mah ends his career

May 14, 2020·Nordic Combined
© NordicFocus

The in recent years sole Canadian Nordic Combined athlete Nathaniel Mah has decided to end his career.

“When I was 3 years old I looked up at the ski jumps at Canada Olympic Park and told my mom, “I want to go off those”. Little did I know it would spark an 18-year long journey in the pursuit of becoming one of the best Nordic Combined athletes in the world. Though this journey did not come without speed bumps and adversity. I have always believed that with hard work and a dream I would be able to beat the odds and be the Canadian that was able to beat the system and have success at the highest level of the sport. And though I was able to have some success, I feel that I have reached a point in my career where I feel it is no longer possible to reach the next level without the support and help that I have never received. With this realization, I have made the most difficult decision to retire”, Mah wrote in a lengthy farewell letter posted on his social media channels.

24-year-old Mah competed on the World and Continental Cup circuits since 2011 and represented his country at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Seefeld (2019) and Lahti (2017). Mah was a also part of the inaugural Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck in 2012.

“As one journey ends, another begins, my plan is to begin my post-secondary education with the hopes of working as a physiotherapist or chiropractor. So many have helped me with injuries and kept my body running. I hope to be able to provide future athletes with the help and support I received (talking ‘bout you Aaron!). I also hope to be involved with the future of Nordic Combined in Canada. I hope and believe I will not be the last Canadian Nordic Combined athlete, there are still many young jumpers out there looking for a new facility to call home. I plan to help make that possible and allow these athletes to continue to grow as the future of the sport, and hopefully begin to help organizations such as Canadian Sport Institution, and Own the Podium, realize how development in sport, and longevity will have a greater impact on results, then just supporting the few at the top”, Mah concluded his letter.

Find his full post here:

Retirement Letter Nathaniel Mah
Retirement-Letter.pdf
Retirement-Letter.pdf
37 kB
18 years ago I started going down ski jumps and skiing on nordic skis. Little did I know that this sport would take me all around the world, introduce me to so many amazing people, and define who I am as a person. I have been a Nordic Combined athlete most of my life, but it's now time to say goodbye, and move onto a new chapter in my life. I have reached a point in my career where I don't feel it is possible to continue to improve and compete at the top level without more support. I have had the opportunity to represent Canada on the world stage for so many years, and though I wasn't able to accomplish everything I dreamt of, the experiences and lessons I’ve learned far outweigh any result I could have achieved. This sport has taught me so much, and I will miss trying to improve as an athlete every single day, and to push my body and mind to its limit. I will also miss competing amongst one of the most amazing communities in the world. The Nordic Combined community is truly unique, and even though we're all from different nations competing against each other, the amount of help I've received from other nations always keeps me grateful and thankful. Thank you so much to all of the people who have helped me get so far in this sport. To all the coaches, teammates, sponsors, families who have taken me in, other teams, and of course my family, and girlfriend, none of this would have been possible without your continued support and help. Sport will always be part of my life, and I plan to continue to be involved with sport by starting a degree in kinesiology, with the long term goal of working as a physiotherapist or chiropractor. I also hope to help keep the sport alive in Canada and work with the up and coming generations to hopefully one day have another Canadian Nordic Combined Athlete. I will not be the last! I look forward to the future, while holding onto the past!
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