PA Sport is following Great Britain downhill skiier Roger Cruickshank throughout his build-up to next February's Winter Olympics in Turin.

In his own weekly column RAF flying officer Cruickshank will reveal the highs and lows of life on the World Cup circuit as he seeks to fulfil one of his lifetime ambitions.

This week I have been taking some valuable rest after my frisbee frolic but it still hasn't stopped me wondering if and when my sporting luck is going to change.

My latest mishap to report involves a game of golf with my father in which he hit his ball right into the rough while I went close to the green.

However, I had reckoned without a local crow which hopped up to my father's ball, picked it up and promptly deposited it less than three feet away from the pin.

Suffice to say we had a couple of contrasting viewpoints about what to do next. In the end my father took a provisional shot and went on to win. I blame the crow.

Still, I suppose I can hardly begrudge my parents a little bit of outrageous fortune.

They have been my major sponsors throughout my career and without them I would not be where I am today.

My parents always believed in me and would have continued funding me until they were living in a caravan unless I did something about it, which is one of the reasons I joined the air force at 18.

I went through a lot of guilty times with my parents always having to worry about money and my sisters thinking I was going away on holiday all the time, not aspiring to be one of the best at my sport.

I was so lucky in that the RAF really support my sport, but my previous struggle shows just how hard it is for kids to carry on skiing.

The system is getting a lot better now but it is still tough for many.

I did have some good news on the funding front this week when my original ski club, the Gordon skiiers at Lecht, kindly donated #500 in appreciation of the hard-working contribution I have put in for the team.

Otherwise it has been another tough week. The World Cup season starts in north America this weekend but here I am still sat at home in Scotland.

When you're used to skiing downhill and flying jet planes you find it hard to sit still. If I am not occupied or busy I just get stressed out which is not really the purpose of having a rest.

I have been using the time to do a lot of upper body and core strength exercises as well as cycling. On Wednesday I will head back to the British Olympic Centre in Lofer with the intention - further mishaps permitting - of getting straight back onto the snow.