There was a time when a World Cup podium finish was cause for expansive celebration for local paralympic nordic skier Collin Cameron.
These days, it's almost become expected, with Cameron adding three more top three placements, attending races in Germany last month.
The end product is the result of the process, in the mind of the 31-year-old sit-skier, who starred at the Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang in 2018.
"I think the quality of training, being able to go to all of the training camps, last summer, was huge - that, and staying healthy," said Cameron, back in town for a short stint, working out on the trails of Kivi Park in preparation for the Biathlon World Championships in Sweden in March.
"Being in the team atmosphere, the team that I am training with, is also a big help. But even the little things that we are working on, technique-wise, different tempos for volume sessions or intensity sessions."
"Everything seems to be gelling together really well and helping me progress a little bit each year."
Amassing no less than three medals at stops in Dresden and Altenberg (both in Germany), Cameron was able to showcase some of the varied spectrum of his talents, a scope that initially came to light during the Games in South Korea.
"I definitely think my specialty is sprinting," he said. "I really enjoy the whole sprint day, the atmosphere around it, the quickness of the race. You start and the next thing you know, it's over."
"But I got my first podium in a non-sprint cross-country race this year, which was pretty exciting."
Clearly a different skier than he was when he ventured out to try the sport, Cameron still finds some race day symptoms a tad tougher to shake.
"I'm more confident now on the start line, but still get nervous," he said. "But I think that's good. Those butterflies mean that you're excited. I try and turn that into focus for the race."
With crowds in Germany that easily surpassed the spectacle in Pyeongchang, a byproduct of piggy-backing off the FIS (Federation internationale de ski) races that were hosted in Dresden simultaneously, Cameron and company had plenty of motivation come race day.
"I would like to think that it was like we opened for the main event," said Cameron, with a smile. "It was incredible. There were people with cowbells as big as your head, making so much noise. It was really, really great."
With one more trek to Europe scheduled for the middle of March, Cameron tries not to get too far ahead of himself, looking towards some of the bigger events on the calendar.
"Ever since I started, I've basically always taken it season by season," he said. "Then we review the year and set the goal for the year, moving forward, always keeping in mind that we tend to do things in a four year cycle."
The 2022 Winter Paralympics are scheduled to take place in Beijing in March of 2022.
"After that, I don't know," said Cameron. "There's so many factors in life."
