There's cool, and then there is Russ Henshaw. He is laid-back, relaxed, and exudes a friendly demeanour that belies just how talented the 23-year old is.
You need to be ice cool in a sport like slopestyle. Anything that requires jaw-dropping jumps and delicate balance on angled objects will test the calm.
"I have done competitions in minus 30 where I can't feel my face... ground's white, clouds are white. You can't get any definition so you don't know where you are on the jump," says Henshaw.
Related: Countdown to Sochi 2014 Winter Games
Ranked as the second best in his sport - in the white knuckle discipline of slopestyle - Henshaw could be expected to be more boastful, but this X Games silver medallist is almost shy when talking about his immense natural talent. It is a process he doesn't overcomplicate.
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"It sounds ridiculous- at the top of the course I will be listening to music. I drop in and I can't hear anything until I get to the end of the course," he says.
Although there have been many times when the gentle silence has been broken by a sickening sound: a noise that heralds a new injury.
In the last few years Henshaw has shattered his left knee cap and twice torn the joint in his right knee. His father has even donated parts of his hamstring to assist in his son's recovery. On more than one occasion, Henshaw has feared an injury would end his career.
"They couldn't even count how many pieces my knee was in. I was told I would never run again and that I could kiss sport goodbye. That basically just fueled the fire," he says.
Those emotions are still raw. The 23-year old is visibly still shaken when he reflects just how dire the outlook was. Even so, there was never going to be a mountain too high, or a slope too steep for Henshaw.
"I worked my butt off to prove the doctors wrong. There was no better feeling than proving them wrong," he says.
With the help of his sponsors Red Bull, Henshaw opted for a rehabilitation program rather than surgery. And so far, that seems to have paid off. With his first Olympics on the horizon, just competing would be a feat after such serious setbacks.
"Even if you don't take a medal home it is a great experience. Not many people get to say they are an Olympian. Actually, it is kind of crazy when you think about it," says Henshaw.
That being said, it is clear that a fire is simmering just below his steely cool demeanor. A medal is certainly on the mind for this snow gun.
Athlete Bio
Name: Russ Henshaw
Age: 23
Olympic Campaigns: One (Sochi)
Event: Freestyle Skiing (Slopestyle)
Lives: Jindabyne, Australia and Keystone, USA
Twitter: @russhenshaw
