Jim De Paoli was born and raised in Geneva, Switzerland, where he lives today. At the age of two, he was introduced to tennis and continued to play until the age of 14 when he stepped on the ice to play hockey. De Paoli says it was not so much the technical skills he learned in hockey but the speed at which things happen on the ice that really helped him over the years. To stay in shape, and because he loves it so much, he still plays hockey four or five times a week. He got the chills and thrills of the sport in 2008, as he participated in the first ice cross downhill race in Davos, Switzerland. In 2010, the sport became a world championship and a year later, in Munich, Jim finished in sixth place, his first really impressive result. Encouraged by this success, he promised to do everything he can to succeed in this new sport. When De Paoli is not on the ice, he likes to take pictures, edit them, and share what others are doing. He enjoys travelling to different events. The Swiss skater believes in hard work, and, for him, success is a matter of motivation. No matter what people think or say, you are the only master of your destiny, and it all depends on how much you want to succeed.
Jim De Paoli
Switzerland
© Joerg Mitter/Red Bull Crashed Ice
