This is how much it costs to be an Olympic Skier: It's expensive to dream this big.

• Author: Stout, James

ATHLETES DEDICATE THEIR ENTIRE CAREERS TO the chance of winning an Olympic medal. Given the four-year Olympic cycle, many athletes only have one or two shots to be selected by their National Organizing Committee and represent the nation, so they often spare no expense when it comes to preparing for selection and competition.

Many aspiring and current Olympians call Utah home. The high altitude, diverse climate types, well-connected airport, and easy access to the outdoors make the state a mecca for both winter and summer athletes. As a result, training facilities have popped up to accommodate their needs. Woodward Park City, for one, is the official training venue for the USA's Winter Olympics athletes until at least 2025.

As anyone with an Ikon pass will tell you, skiing is far from cheap--and competing at the highest level costs athletes significant amounts of money. For some, this will result in a payout in the form of prize money at non-Olympic events, sponsor endorsements, and celebrity appearance fees. For others, a trip to the games might result in an Olympic mountain of debt. Household names like Sean White, for instance, will benefit from endorsements, speaking gigs, and sponsorships. Those without three gold medals to their name will find things a little harder and might not have much support beyond gear.

For this reason, the exact cost differs from athlete to athlete. While most athletes can rely on a sponsor to cover the cost of their skis, clothing, and boots, they are more likely to be left footing the bill for services such as nutrition advice, sports psychology, physiotherapy, health insurance that lets them see the best sports medicine doctors, housing, and the costs of day-to-day life. And for serious skiers who want to make the games their goal, a 40-hour workweek isn't exactly compatible with the amount of training required. This means that they either need some serious savings or the support of a sponsor to keep them out of debt.

Anouk Patty, chief of sport at US Ski and Snowboard and a former athlete, explains that once selected for USA Skiing's long list, athletes can enjoy the support of the federation, which provides coaching as well as services like nutritional advice and sports psychology. "Once an athlete is named to our elite teams (Alpine A-C teams, Snowboard/Freeski/Pro Teams, and Freestyle A or B teams), they are fully funded," he says. "We cover the cost of training during the preparation period as well as...