Imagine the noise of a ski resort, with powder flying off a fast turn. Now, instead of those slopes, picture a tennis match where the ball is pounding, the sneakers are squeaking, and the players’ nerves are taut than the strings on their rackets. It’s strange, but both have more in common with the financial markets than you might think. Have you ever gone free diving? You can’t second-guess when you’re underwater. Take a deep breath, hold it, and trust your training. Change that ocean blue to a sea of red and green candlesticks, and now you’re trading stocks. Discover more on Adam McManus Etobicoke

Let’s start with tennis. You have to make decisions in this sport in a split second. The ball soars at strange angles and spins out of control, but the players change their swings in the middle of the game. It’s like taking care of a portfolio. Sometimes you’re Federer and hit a forehand winner, and other times the market hits you with a double fault you didn’t see coming. You change either way. It’s more important to learn from a bad serve or exchange than to be perfect. Sets are lost by champions. Gurus lose bets. Not perfection, but consistency wins trophies and makes money.

Now, go diving. The calm before the jump is like any financial entrance, with fingers curling over the glitching mouse or the smooth dive platform. The audience quiets down, and the spreadsheets and ticker feeds glare back. That headfirst dive takes a lot of guts. When you’re underwater, you stay cool, look for everything in your way, and come back up effortlessly. Great investors do something similar: they put their money on the line, ride out the storm, and come out with their lungs (and portfolios) intact.

Skiing gives you a rush of exhilaration. To slice down the mountain, you need to be able to read the terrain quickly, change your weight, and keep things under control. Just like economic news might influence how investors feel, snow can change its texture. Skiers don’t always have perfect runs, but they change their plans on the fly. Traders also have to deal with uncertainty. And sometimes, the only thing to do is chuckle at a wipeout before putting on your seatbelt again.

This is what all sports teach: you have to take risks, rewards love preparation, and improvisation is the best. More than only training or data affect the results. There is gut feeling. There is strength. Even the best pros make mistakes. Think about sledding through a tie-break in tennis or sinking into a financial catastrophe. What do they all have in common? Everyone sweats, from pros to weekend warriors to bond traders.

In finance, on the other hand, there are no gold medals, just a lot of paperwork. The words may sound fancier—diversification, hedging, leverage—but at the heart of it all, it’s people making decisions, enjoying tiny wins, and dealing with disappointments. Like smiling at a terrible serve or soft snow. What’s the secret? Don’t panic when things go wrong. Have a good time. Study. Get back out there.

So the next time you see sports highlight reels and economic news on TV at the same time, look for the pattern: slice, dive, swing, and rebound. It might be safer to drink cocoa by the lodge, but the exhilaration of leaping off the edge, whether you’re chasing a ball or a bullish trend, is what really gets you going.