Matti Nykänen first rose to success and fame during the 1988 Winter Olympics for his prowess in the art of skiing. This professional ski jumper’s tryst with skiing started at the young age of eight, when he first took the ski slopes after accepting a dare made by his father. From that moment, Matti knew that he was hooked. As a young boy, he refused to be daunted by the large jumps, making it his personal ambition to conquer each and every one. When he was eleven years old, Nykänen entered his first competition and won first place for his age group. After that, he continued entering in competitions, spending the majority of his days jumping and perfecting his skills. His proximity to a ski slope gave him an advantage of his rivals and provided him with hours of uninterrupted practice time. Since his performance in his first Winter Olympics, Nykänen has gone on to continue competing, winning dozen more medals and changing the face of the sport.Despite the troubles that have plagued him during his later years, there is no denying the impact that he had on the world of skiing. To this day, athletics can look up to him and study his abilities on the slopes, marveling at his feats on the ski jump