Baff’s creed:‘Be scared and do it any way’

While lashings of bravado and testosterone appear to be the fuel that drives extreme sport athletes to push their limits, snowboard cross’s Josie Baff admits her deepest, darkest nerves can bubble away so violently before a race they erupt into words that flow from her lips  like a stream of lava.

However, this 22-year-old native of Jindabyne- who won Australia’s first ever Youth Winter Olympic Games gold medal in 2020 – insists the act of acknowledging what’s on her mind is what allows her to go out and tear up the slopes.

“I don’t find just snowboarding very dangerous,” revealed Baff in her episode of NSWIS Lights Up which can be accessed via the NSWIS website. “But there’s elements of it that keep me on my toes. And I’m definitely nervous doing those things, like hitting big jumps, for the first time.

“I think it’s a very good thing to be nervous and know the risks, but then to trust yourself in the process and then know that I can handle it . . .  that’s usually what goes through my head and how I handle those nerves.

“But they’re definitely always still there and I’m probably one of the more, I guess, nervous people . . .  outwardly . . . and I’m very open about how I’m feeling. I also kind of use that to strengthen my inner thoughts and know that I have the ability to do it.”

Baff, who won a bronze medal at last weekend’s opening World Cup meet in Cervinia, Italy, has also discovered that forcing herself to venture outside of her comfort zone has forged a fiercer sense of self belief.

“And when I say that I’m more nervous, I think I’m probably more open to accepting those nerves than some people who just want to block them out,” she said. “But I definitely love taking risks, I do it a lot. It gives me, I don’t know, the adrenaline. I like the adrenaline; I like overcoming things.

“I think having the self-belief – and it’s growing – but having that feeling of doing something that you were scared to do [and doing it], it just feels like you’ve overcome something and you kind of get a buzz from doing it. I really enjoy the feeling, and I think it’s a great thing to be nervous. I think it’s great to be able to trust yourself and do it anyway.

“Be scared and do it anyway.”

Baff, who followed her older sister Georgia’s slipstream into snowboard at five, and who then went on overseas training camps her father Peter coached at, said her career is also benefiting from the resilience she’s developed from enduring tough times on tour. 

“I think that the resilience has developed in the last couple of years,” she said. “I think after I started getting results on the World Cup circuit, and then not having those results, means you learn a lot about yourself.

“It kind of reveals these things that . . .  they’re a little bit dark sometimes . . .  but learning how to deal with them really makes your life a lot more positive and [teaches] you to know how to handle those situations.”

Yet, for all the challenges, Baff made it clear she is thriving in the sport and is also inspired by the athletes and coaches who surround her because they’re on a different wavelength to most people.

“There’s no feeling that can replicate it, and that’s why I love it so much,” said Baff of her sport. “It incorporates all of my favourite parts about snowboarding, and all my favourite parts about life.

“It’s never the same. No snowboard cross track is ever the same. It’s always something new and something new to adapt to -which I love – and I love that unknown aspect. And honestly, when I’m having fun, it’s when I’m performing. Yeah, when I feel challenged, I tend to go better.

“I think it’s very important to be yourself and be around people who are like-minded and that can resonate with you, and [who] you can relate to because, often as an athlete, you have high-end competitiveness, and that might not be as well received somewhere else.

“I think it’s something that’s very common among athletes. It’s nice to bond over that.”

Daniel Lane, NSWIS