Martyna taking his studies and sport to the Max

Freestyling at WinSport describes his skiing discipline, but certainly not his focus as a Grade 12 student. 

The reality is that education always tops the list of priorities for Max Martyna while at the National Sport School (NSS). 

After all, he has his sights set on starting a rather impressive post-secondary degree.  

“I think for me, and a lot of the NSS students, we always go by the rule that school is first and then sport,” says Martyna. “School is first because I’ve got to make sure I’ve got good grades before I can ski. The NSS makes sure of that, and makes sure my grades are up and that when I’m away, I can keep those grades up so that I can still ski and have a bunch of fun.” 

Having two parents as skiers led to Martyna participating in WinSport development programs once a week as a child. 

Fast-forward to today, and the 17-year-old has also successfully recruited his younger brother, Sam, to the school as a fellow freestyle skier and lacrosse player, as well. 

The elder Martyna sibling did not start out exclusively in freestyle skiing either, but has become the stellar winter athlete and well-rounded student that he is today thanks to the NSS. 

“I came to the school as more of a squash player transitioning into skiing,” says Martyna. “I made that transition and I’ve gone from not much to where I am now as a skier through the NSS. Academically, you get into high school and the grades have to go up, and I’ve really worked to make sure my grades are strong while skiing and being away. The NSS has been able to help me grow and make that a possibility.” 

A member of the Calgary Freeriderz ski club, Martyna trains daily at WinSport and weekly at Lake Louise. He finished fifth in the province last season among all U-18 competitors and travelled to seek the snow in the Yukon, Nova Scotia, Sun Peaks, and Whistler. 

Along with the flexible schedule, Martyna benefits from being in an academic environment alongside other top skiers (and athletes of all sports) who are like-minded in their respective pursuits of success. 

In fact, the NSS has made such as impact on him that he has serious doubts about whether he’d still be a high-level athlete had he enrolled somewhere else. 

“I don’t think I’d be a skier still,” says Martyna. “If I was in a traditional school with an academic focus, I wouldn’t be able to keep up with skiing. I’d still ski because I love it, but I wouldn’t be travelling and training like I am now. I don’t think I’d have as strong of relationships with my teachers and my peers around me. From talking to other friends, they talk to their teachers maybe once in a semester. They are taught, but they’re not creating connection.” 

Still considering future skiing once he graduates in less than a year, he may also opt for jumping right into biomechanical engineering at either his hometown University of Calgary or out west at Vancouver’s UBC. 

Either way, the NSS gets an A+ as far as Martyna is concerned. 

“The value you get out of the NSS is just so strong that I think it’s the best choice for most people wherever they are in athletics and life,” says Martyna. “You can’t create a balance in any other school or walk of life as strong as you can at the NSS.”