sarahness

Virtuoso violinist Vanessa Mae is hoping to represent Thailand as a downhill skier at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Sitting on top of the modest piano in her apartment in Zermatt was a somewhat battered ski helmet. “How hilarious is that?” she giggles. “But in a way it’s the perfect symbolism for my twin loves. Music, my life-long passion, and skiing, my life-long hobby.”

“I started skiing around the same time as I began playing the piano, at around four, before moving to the violin at five,” she explains. “And I’m lucky that having begun my musical career so young, it’s rather wonderful that I can now focus on my hobby. Not that I’m putting my day job on hold. Music will always be my greatest passion. There are still the concerts. But now I am no longer recording an album a year as I did in my teens. To be honest, that became a treadmill. The endless touring, the promotions. By the time I got to 20, I was no longer enjoying it.”

It seems that Vanessa is realistic about her skiing ambitions. According to her, she get up at 5:30 am to ski.