Myles Silverman turns the corner during a run in the Europa Cup at Simonhöhe recently. Photo provided by Joshua Milne

BRUNSWICK — When Myles Silverman was 8 years old, he attended the 2006 Winter Olympics in Italy with his family and immediately fell in love with what unfolded in front of his eyes.

About a year later, the Brunswick native started snowboarding competitively. Two years later, at age 10, he won his first national competition. Now 23, Silverman is training at Reiteralm — a ski resort in Schladming, Austria — with the goal of qualifying for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

“It’s been a lot of work since I arrived here, but I’ve met some amazing new people and seen some incredible places,” said Silverman via Zoom this week. “I’ve been training with people from different countries including Canada and Austria. There’s actually another American here with me from Colorado.”

Silverman, whose family moved to Brunswick when he was 6, has been in Austria for some intensive training, after graduating from Hobart College (Geneva, New York) in December. 

It’s been a long and rigorous journey for Silverman, whose passion took off while he attended Brunswick Middle School. Silverman was homeschooled during the winters then so he could snowboard at Sugarloaf.

“It wasn’t until around eighth grade where my family and I decided I could really try for this and be the best, so I moved to Colorado and got a coach to help train me,” said Silverman.

Myles Silverman competes at the 2020 USCSA collegiate nationals at Whiteface, New York, where he won his fifth consecutive title. Photo provided by Joshua Milne

After finishing up at Brunswick Middle School, Silverman moved to Steamboat Springs, Colorado and attended Steamboat Mountain School, where he would take classes and spend a good portion of his time on the mountain.

“Colorado was awesome, and it helped me develop a better idea of what to focus on as a snowboarder,” added Silverman. “I had thoughts of trick riding and other events, but I am pretty stoked with the path I am on right now.”

While at Steamboat Springs, Silverman was coached by former Dutch Olympian Thedo Remmelink. The two formed a strong bond, which has only strengthened in the last eight years. Silverman said he’s vastly improved under Remmelink’s guidance.

“It’s hard to put a number on it, but the bulk of his improvement came while he was here at Steamboat,” said Remmelink. “He also matured and got a lot stronger, which never hurts.”

Silverman said he updates Remmelink with his progress via email or text every.

“Myles will reach out to let me know what’s up with him or ask for advice, something I always welcome,” Remmelink said.

Silverman is a four-time collegiate national champion first team All-American. He’s competed three times in the International Ski Federation (FIS) Junior World Championships. He even has an award named after him at Hobart called “The William “Myles” Silverman ’20 Award”, given to an athlete at the school who excels individually at cross country, golf, sailing, squash, or tennis.

Silverman is currently training for the parallel giant slalom and the parallel slalom events, but he has some catching up to do since he just graduated from college in December.   

“It’s been an adjustment to get back into the racing scene after being in school for the past few years,” said Silverman. “My competition already has over 70 days on the mountain this year; I just finished up day 17.”

Silverman has been snowboarding about five or six times a week, depending on the competition schedule. He has a routine that he follows on a daily basis to help prepare him for competition, which usually occurs on the weekend.

Silverman is awake by seven on most mornings to eat breakfast and gather his things before the 7:50 departure to the mountain. He trains on the mountain for approximately four hours in the morning until around noon, and then heads back to his room to decompress and tune-up his board in preparation for the following day on the mountain. He also watches film on a daily basis and keeps a journal of his thoughts and to keep track of his training.

“The journal helps me see the progress I am making, and also is a good thing to have when I am taking notes on my film,” added Silverman. “I also do quite a bit of meditation to bring me back to a certain moment on the mountain.”

To follow a training regime like Silverman not only takes dedication and hard work but also calls for a knowledge of his own body and how to take care of it properly. 

Myles Silverman gives the thumbs up while training last month in Reiteralm, Austria. Photo provided by Joshua Milne

“I’ve been focusing on working on my diet, I’ve been noticing that my journal entries have been helping guide me through this change,” said Silverman. “Stretching exercises and doing some yoga has also been helping me mentally and physically.”

While Silverman may be far from home, his family remains in Brunswick, where he communicates with them on a daily basis if applicable. 

“It’s nice to feel at home when I am talking with them, even if I’m halfway across the globe,” said Silverman.

Silverman is preparing for his next competition, set to take place in two weeks in Switzerland. 

While he’s making progress and taking the next step toward his goal, Silverman will never forget the journey he’s taken along the way to get to this point.

“I wouldn’t change any part of my journey for anything, and I appreciate all who helped shape me into who I am today,” he said.