Known as the “Daredevil of the Tatras,” St. John Paul II once quipped that "It’s unbecoming for a cardinal to ski badly."
One of the most widely known hobbies of St. John Paul II was his love of skiing. He developed a love of skiing in his 30s and kept skiing as a priest, bishop, cardinal, and even pope.
John Paul II would often "escape" from the Vatican to go skiing and in his early years was known as the "Daredevil of the Tatras," referring to his skill skiing on the Tatra mountains in Poland.
Why did John Paul II love skiing?
One question that isn't always asked is why John Paul II skied so much. Was there a particular reason why he loved it?
John Paul II firmly believed that a person could encounter God in creation, as he explained in a general audience in 2000.
Being on a mountain helped St. John Paul II encounter God and listen to his voice in the silence and solitude of creation.
It is no surprise that he went so frequently to the mountains and kept going until he was physically unable to.
For John Paul II, skiing wasn't simply a fun activity, but it was a spiritual experience, one where he found peace in his soul.
