Photography: RR
Recently, Austria’s fastest skater, who has lived in Ericeira for about a year, gave an interview to Ericeira Living. Anna Pixner has participated in the World Championships and is fighting for her dream and what she loves to do the most.
When she started skating and roll down the hills at lightning speed, “she found her place in the world”. Today, after ten years, she is considered one of the best globally in this sport and seeks to “reach for the stars, make it happen and inspire other people to think the same”.
Anna seeks to ‘reach for the stars and make it happen’
Despite her supreme confidence in these high-pressure, high-adrenaline situations, Anna Pixner is surprisingly shy. However, the downhill skater is determined to show the world her work and a little more about herself. Her current goal is to attract sponsorships to support her in completing the world tour.
The skater recently published her story in the book “With Own Power”, along with five other extreme sportswomen, she filmed with the filmmaker Octavio Scholz, from Ericeira, and the producer Jaz Levis to make a short film that tells her story and has collaborated with local projects such as the Ocean Sisters community.
I want to inspire people to step out of their comfort zone
Anna Pixner, speeding to the stars, making it happen. What does it mean to you?
It means that I am learning to shift my focus from the obstacles to the prize. I am learning to set higher goals and to work towards achieving them. I am not shying away, I am not hiding.
It hasn’t always been like that, though. In the past, no matter how well I could do something, I used to think that I still needed to improve before I could put my head above the parapet.
life was happening while I postponed fulfilling my dreams
Luckily, I have come to realise that I have no more time to lose by being a shy perfectionist in the shadows. Life was happening while I postponed fulfilling my dreams, and I was missing out. So, I rolled up my sleeves and got down to work.
What is your dream and how are you making it reality?
My dream is to skate full-time. There is nothing else I would rather be doing right now. So, I have decided to invest my energy in making that happen.
Right now, I am working on finding a sponsorship that will allow me to complete the world cup tour. I have done parts of the tour in the past, but have never been able to complete it because I didn’t have a sponsor to cover the costs.
I have decided to invest my energy in making that happen
What has inspired Anna Pixner to reach for the stars?
I have had a serious accident a few years ago, which has been great for putting things into perspective.
The accident happened far from home, skating down a road in the desert in Israel. I crashed into a guardrail, broke two vertebrae, four ribs and damaged a lung. I wasn’t sure if I would live or if I would ever skate again. And, I was completely reliant on the help of strangers to get through it.
Since that happened, not only am I’m back to skating with more commitment than ever before, but I have also changed my mind about showing myself in public and about social media.
I had a serious accident that changed my perspective on things.
And how do you feel about sharing your story and inspiring others?
I used to see no point in sharing my story, my skills and my thoughts. I didn’t believe I could be anyone’s inspiration, because I didn’t believe enough in myself.
But then, seeing first-hand how quickly and easily my skating and my life could be over, I hit reset. Suddenly, there was no time to waste being hyper self-critical, hiding from people and saying no to opportunities. I am acutely aware of that now.
suddenly, there was no time to waste
Nowadays, I want to connect with people and inspire others who might be going through similar challenges. I want to inspire people to believe in their abilities, to see their value, and to appreciate their own body and mind, even if these don’t conform to ‘the standards’. I want to inspire people to step out of their comfort zone.
What is your message to inspire other people/girls?
For most of my life, I felt that I was not the way I should be. And it is terrible not to be comfortable in your own skin. So, my message to other girls is this:
Be yourself
Be yourself, don’t try to fit into social media standards. These are often misleading or even just plain false. I truly believe that we should appreciate every single person for their unique characteristics. We don’t want clones.
Believe in yourself
Believe in yourself. Even if you are not naturally confident, even if you still don’t know what your skills are. Believe that, with practice and time you can achieve your goals. Set your goals.
Give yourself time to develop your skills
Give yourself time to develop your skills. Nobody is born self-confident and with a lot of impressive skills. These take time to develop.
You can read the original interview here.
Esta publicação também está disponível em | This article is also available in: Portuguese (Portugal)
