Otago's Adam Hall, New Zealand's best medal hope, is counting down the days to the Winter Paralympics in Vancouver next week.
"I am feeling really strong, both physically and mentally, the best I have ever felt," Hall wrote in his regular newsletter.
"I head into these Games as a medal contender."
Hall has done most of his preparation at his base in Winter Park, Colorado, rather than travelling all over the place, as he has done in other seasons.
"Winter Park is my northern hemisphere base and I am able to keep building on my training, staying healthy, fresh and fit," he said. "It is my best possible plan of attack heading into Vancouver."
He has ventured out of Winter Park a few times.
"I need to get out of the skiing zone so I don't get mentally fatigued," he said.
He raced in the Wells Fargo world invitation event, at Winter Park, winning the event for the fifth time and collecting some prize money.
"It is the only race of its kind in the world on the disabled circuit," Hall said.
Hall is happy with the way training has gone at Winter Park.
"I have been able to work and fine-tune my technique."
He made a two-hour trip with his coach to Steamboat Springs in Colorado, where he was invited to be the fore-runner in an able-body slalom race.
"It was at night and was the biggest race in the west of the United States," Hall said. "It was my first experience competing under lights."
The New Zealand team leaves Winter Park today for the Paralympics in Vancouver.
Hall will have five days' training at the Whistler skifield before he starts racing.
The opening ceremony is on March 12.
He races on March 14, 16, 18 and 20. The closing ceremony will be on March 21.
