Carlo Janka is one of the most successful Swiss ski racers of his generation.
World champion, Olympic champion, overall World Cup winner, and eleven World Cup victories—his career is marked by extraordinary achievements. At the same time, the native of Graubünden had to repeatedly deal with injuries, health issues, and setbacks. It is precisely these experiences that have permanently changed his perspective on performance, success, and mental strength.
On the slopes, Carlo Janka was known as the “Iceman” for his calm and composure. Today, he shares his experiences from elite sports as a speaker and coach. He talks about resilience, coping with pressure, motivation, focus, and how important recovery and mindful management of one’s own resources are for sustained performance.
An Interview with Carlo Janka
1. What are the core subjects of your keynote speeches?
My talks focus on mental strength, resilience, stress management and constructive ways of dealing with setbacks.
Drawing on personal experiences from elite sport, I show how to remain focused under pressure, embrace change and take action again after difficult periods.Further core topics include recovery, the nervous system, nutrition, gut health, managing personal energy reserves, leading oneself, trust, team culture and making clear decisions under pressure.
In another talk, I share personal insights into the highs and lows of my sporting career. I also offer a moderated reading featuring selected passages from my book.
2. Which audiance or which branch do you reach with your speech?
My talks are suitable for companies and organisations across all industries, as well as executives, employees and teams interested in performance, resilience, stress management, change and healthy leadership.
They are particularly well suited to corporate events, leadership conferences, client events, congresses and professional development programmes. Through my background in elite sport, I also address sports associations, clubs, coaches, athletes and young talents.
The topics are equally relevant to tourism, healthcare, education and public institutions. My personal career talks appeal to a broad audience, while the moderated reading is especially suited to libraries, cultural events and public conversations.
3. Are you a PREMIUM SPEAKER? Where do you get your insights from?
As an Olympic champion, world champion and overall World Cup winner, I know both the highs of success and the challenges of dealing with pressure, injuries, health problems and setbacks.
My talks are therefore based not only on theoretical knowledge, but also on experiences that I have lived through and reflected on over many years.My expertise comes from my long career in elite sport, close collaboration with coaches, doctors, therapists and other specialists, as well as continuous professional education in coaching, mental strength, stress regulation, nutrition, recovery and holistic health.I combine personal stories with accessible knowledge and practical insights that can be applied to professional and personal life. I speak authentically, openly and in a grounded way, including about the moments when things did not go according to plan.
This combination of lived experience, continuous learning and practical relevance is what distinguishes me as a Premium Speaker.
4. What will be in the future? Does «time» play an important role in your work?
Time plays a decisive role in alpine ski racing. Victory or defeat is often determined by only a few hundredths of a second. At the same time, my career has taught me that sustainable success is not created in a single moment. It requires patience, consistency and the willingness to work on small details every day.Our world is changing at an increasingly rapid pace. Performance pressure, constant availability and uncertainty are growing. This is why resilience, recovery, mental strength and the conscious management of personal energy will become even more important in the future.For me, time and consistency belong together. Some situations require immediate action, while personal development and lasting success need time. My goal is to continue sharing my experiences and to help people remain healthy, focused and capable of taking action, even under pressure.
5. Tell us your life motto? What do you want to give your listeners to take with them?
My life motto is: «There is strength in calmness.»
To me, calmness does not mean standing still. It means maintaining clarity under intense pressure, trusting yourself and focusing your energy on what you can influence. In alpine ski racing, success or defeat was often decided by a few hundredths of a second. Yet my best performances did not come from rushing. They came from focus, confidence and inner calm.What I want my audience to remember is that a setback does not determine the path ahead. What matters is how we respond to it. Accept the situation, learn from it, take the next step and get back up.
«Great goals are rarely achieved all at once. They are reached through many small and consistent steps.»