You see I'm not that competitive when it comes to skiing, and prefer to concentrate on pleasure and enjoyment rather than beating the next person.  I prefer off piste skiing and if you start getting competitive and aggressive out there then you will probably ski worse and perhaps make the wrong safety calls too. But I am in Italy for the Ski fest, an event organised by Crystal, and it consists of a Giant slalom, dual slalom and speed test and I've just emerged victorious in one of the three categories in the dual-slalom.

Needless to say in the first round I was nerve free and took it in a fairly light hearted manner but as I got through 3 rounds and into the semi-finals my heart was pounding as I placed my ski poles over the start gate and attempted to push on my poles, swing my skis back and then launch myself through the timer.

You now, how the pros do it.

"Don't try too hard and concentrate on the line.  Make sure to turn before the gate and not round it. Keep low, stay on the edges and push out of each turn."  These were just some of the thoughts going through my head as I waited for the final. I was up against a teenager, but he looked like he knew what he was doing.  I decided not to talk to him, but to try to look relaxed and supremely confident about my forthcoming and inevitable victory.

"For God sake James don't take it so bloody seriously it is supposed to be a bit of fun," one voice inside my head said.

"Concentrate and stop taking it like some sort of joke. It is a race and it's better to win than loose," another voice said.

Suddenly I found myself doing all sorts of ridiculous things.

For a start I tightened up my boots until they wouldn't go any further.  Then I started to breath deeply to maximise the oxygen in my blood.  Then I closed my eyes and visualised in my head the tricky section of the course.  As I entered the start gate for the final my heart was beating faster and I was determined to give it a go.

I pushed out of the gate with all my energy and chose the line to attack the course. Nothing else mattered. I knew by the third gate that I was going to win and I was ahead and somehow it felt like I was skiing on rails.  It was a great sensation whizzing round the gate, on the correct line and feeling acceleration in the turn.

I crossed the line in front.

I had won and most importantly had thoroughly enjoyed it. My heart though was pumping even faster than when I had been in the start gate.  The adrenalin of racing is quite addictive.

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