Tag: Fast and Female

Keeping Up the Positivity, Randall Nears Day 60 of Chemo

Kikkan Randall (c) with her son, Breck, and husband, Jeff Ellis, in Penticton, British Columbia. (Courtesy photo)

Day by day. That’s how Kikkan Randall is approaching her battle with breast cancer after being diagnosed about three months ago. Now more than 50 days into her treatment — with six rounds of chemotherapy over an 18-week span — Randall, 35, is becoming more familiar with the ugly side effects and adjusting to her new normal.

While beating what is believed to be Stage 2 cancer remains the Olympic gold medalist’s biggest challenge yet, it’s not dampening her spirits — even on the extremely rough days, of which there have been many.

After Round 2 of chemo, Randall returned to her family in their new home of Penticton, British Columbia, where she quickly came down with a nasty cold. That cold required a visit to a local clinic and antibiotics, and Randall now wears a mask on airplanes to fend off germs while flying to and from her cancer treatments in Anchorage, Alaska.

“Getting the head cold on top of going through the worst days of the chemo cycle has definitely been one of the most uncomfortable weeks of my life,” Randall explained in an email to FasterSkier. “It’s mostly because I have no control and I have no idea how well my immune system can clear the cold. Normally I would be optimistic that it would just be a tough couple of days but now I just have to wait and wait.”

Kikkan Randall during her first chemotherapy infusion at the Providence Alaska Medical Center on July 9 in Anchorage. (Courtesy photo)

She eventually kicked the cold and got her voice back, just in time for Round 3 of chemo on Aug. 22. After what she called a “quick 36-hour trip to Anchorage,” she was back in Penticton on Aug. 23. So far, Randall explained on her daily video blogs that her current three-week round is going better than the previous two.

“Just getting used to my haircut … got a nice little fuzz growing on top,” she said in her Day 51 video posted last Wednesday, just over a month after she shaved her head for the first time.

“Definitely giving me a greater appreciation for all the guys out there and gals that deal with this,” she continued with a smile. “But I have to say it is pretty low maintenance so I guess I should just embrace it.”

Two weeks after receiving her first chemo infusion in July, Randall noticed she was losing her hair in clumps. She promptly went wig shopping with friends and scheduled an appointment with her hairdresser in Anchorage to get ahead of the hair loss.

Randall spoke with FasterSkier on the phone from Anchorage on July 26, the day after she initially asked her hairdresser to shave it all off.

“I sat in the chair and she said, ‘Are you ready?’ and I said, ‘Let’s do it,’ ” Randall recalled. “Three minutes later, I had a buzz cut, and I think I actually handled it better than I thought I would. It was kind of interesting to watch it, to feel it, and to be like, OK, now we’ve got that taken care of. Now we can move onto the next step.”

The next step and every passing day has proved to be an unknown. Oncologists never know exactly how a patient will react to treatment, as “everybody seems to react differently,” Randall explained.

“But in a lot of cases what you experience the first round is what you will generally feel like over the next subsequent rounds,” she continued. “Some of it will be a little bit cumulative, like the fatigue I’m sure will add up a little bit, but I also really think that staying active through this as much as I can will really help. I’ve noticed already that even on days where I don’t feel very good, if I get out and do something, it at least keeps my mind off of how bad I feel and I think it helps me process everything better, both physically and mentally.”

Kikkan Randall wearing ice mittens and socks to prevent neuropathy during a chemo infusion at the Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage. (Courtesy photo)

As she approaches the halfway point of her chemo treatment — the first proactive step to eradicate the cancer (which was initially found in her breast and one lymph node), Randall has continued to make an effort to get outside and moving every day. Some days, that’s as much as a run with former training buddies or even intervals, and other days, it’s about playing with her 2-year-old son, Breck.

Ever since announcing her diagnosis on social media, Randall has been promoting AKTIV Against Cancer, a Norwegian nonprofit that she became involved with six or seven years ago without having any direct ties to cancer. According to Randall, the organization funds research on how physical activity can affect cancer treatment and creates supportive environments for patients to work out together, both in and out of the hospital.

“It falls along with what I believe is that physical activity is pretty much good for everything, so I was happy to support them as an athlete, but now that I actually have cancer myself, I have a little deeper connection,” she said. “I’ve committed personally to staying as active as I can through this, but I think in partnering with them, we can share the message on a bigger platform, and I’m looking forward to learning more about the research that they’ve done and also to continue to fundraise and promote awareness for getting other hospitals to have these places and rooms and programs that encourage cancer patients to be active.”

“I’ve committed personally to staying as active as I can through this…” — Kikkan Randall, on her cancer diagnosis

Randall continues to ride her bike to and from the Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage. During a recent layover, she worked out in a Vancouver gym. And early in the treatment, she asked if she could use a stationary bike or treadmill during the several-hour-long infusions. While her oncologist and nurses ultimately encouraged her not to (“the nurses felt it would be hard to keep an eye on me for any reactions I might have to the medication”), the bottom line is: Randall is still plugging away at a rate that would put most people to shame.

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After her last round of chemo in mid November, she’s hoping tests will reveal that her tumor has shrunk or disappeared altogether. That would make surgery “more straightforward”, she explained, yet she’ll still have to decide which type of surgery to undergo. Her options range from a lumpectomy (removal of the tumor and some surrounding tissue) to a unilateral or bilateral mastectomy (removal of one or both breasts).

“If you do the double [mastectomy], the idea is you’re taking out the most breast tissue as possible, which is where a second breast cancer would most likely come back so it gives you a slightly better piece of mind,” Randall explained. “You don’t have to be screened quite as much after the fact because there isn’t breast tissue for it to come back to, and then from there, you can decide whether you go the double route and wear prosthetics or whether you go a reconstruction route … so there’s a lot to consider between now and then between what I want to do for maintaining the lifestyle and all the activities I want to do.”

Kikkan Randall staying positive with pink socks and rainbow shoes during her second round of chemotherapy on July 31 at the Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage. (Courtesy photo)

Through all of this, she’s learned that her tumor responds to estrogen, progesterone and HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2)/neu protein, and is initially being treated with two chemo drugs to specifically target the HER2/neu. That should help stop the growth of the tumor, and after chemo, Randall will start taking anti-estrogen and anti-progesterone meds.

Leading up to all of this, she and her husband had been hoping to expand their family.

“We were just starting to try for kid number two and definitely excited to have more kids so finding out about this thing, the diagnosis, and then knowing I needed to start chemo pretty soon, we didn’t have much of a window to work with,” she explained of her diagnosis in early June.

Later that month, before starting chemo in July, she sought fertility treatment in Seattle. There, Randall received a round of injections to stimulate egg production in her ovaries. That produced one embryo, which is being preserved in case the cancer treatment makes pregnancy difficult later on.

“There’s no guarantee that the chemo will knock out my natural fertility, but it’s nice to know that there’s at least a small chance for the future,” Randall said. “It’s going to be challenging because the type of breast cancer that I have, I will have to be on some anti-estrogen and anti-hormone treatment for probably five to ten years even after the chemo and everything is done, so that’s going to be a little bit tricky to figure out a pregnancy in there, but at least we kind of have a backup plan.”

While Randall repeats her multiple-leg commute between Penticton and Anchorage (a 1- to 1.5-hour drive from Penticton to Kelowna, B.C., followed by a two-stop, roughly 4.5-hour flight to Anchorage) every three weeks, she’s also staying involved in several work engagements, including with Fast and Female and as a new board member of the National Nordic Foundation.

“I’ve definitely had to say no to some things,” she said. For instance, she had to turn down an opportunity to be in a Warren Miller movie featuring the U.S. Ski Team (which was recently filmed in New Zealand) and a trip to the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in October in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as an International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes’ Commission member.

“Everyone’s been so supportive, like the IOC, the USOC [U.S. Olympic Committee], they’ve been telling me to take as much time to make my health the number-one concern, and the same with Fast and Female, we wanted to get some stuff going this summer and fall and we’ve just had to postpone it a little bit,” she said in July. “The door’s open if I have the energy to work on some of that stuff, but if I can’t, I have the time to just focus on recovery. … And then the period after surgery is kind of up in the air in terms of what I’ll be able to do. I’m just trying to be creative; I’m hoping to be able to do stuff, maybe not as much in person but maybe I can contribute to things, whether it’s writing or interviews or projects. I’m just going to ride it out and see where it goes.”

Back in Penticton, her husband, Jeff Ellis, has been “doing the single dad thing”, as Randall put it, while she’s away for treatment. As she retired from racing this spring, Ellis transitioned from his marketing job with the International Ski Federation to sales and marketing with Swagman bike racks. He initially took some time off from Swagman when Randall was first diagnosed before deciding to leave his job and be home full time.

“Ultimately when Jeff said, ‘Hey, this has put things into perspective for us. I need to be home to help Kikkan out,’ they were definitely very understanding of that,” Randall said of Swagman.

Ellis recently started his own business as an independent marketing contractor, called the Jeffrey MW Ellis Group.

“He’s actually helping me with the ‘Kikkan Brand’ while I’m going through treatment and he’s picked up a few more small clients as well,” Randall explained.

Asked why she went public with the diagnosis in early July and what’s driven her daily video updates every day since, Randall said she never could have kept it private.

“I’m not very good at faking things, so I knew once I showed up in Anchorage when I wasn’t supposed to be here, people would start to ask questions and wonder what was going on and I was going to have to start bowing out of things,” she said. “I also felt like, especially Anchorage, especially Alaska, but really just so many people have supported me through my career and they really care what’s going on. So I kind of felt like they’d want to know what was going on with me. It’s always good to celebrate the good things, but I think it’s also important to share the really human moments, and I thought it was really good to show that you could be an Olympic gold medalist and four months later find out you have breast cancer.

“I think it’s important for a lot of people out there that are battling through this, it makes them feel like, this happens to all of us,” she continued. “I learned 10 years ago when I shared my story about blood clots that it helped people. … I kind of felt like, if me going through this can have a positive impact by sharing my story, then I’m happy to do so. I don’t feel like there’s anything I need to hide; I’m willing to share this.”

“It’s always good to celebrate the good things, but I think it’s also important to share the really human moments. … You could be an Olympic gold medalist and four months later find out you have breast cancer.”

One of Randall’s sponsors started a GoFundMe online fundraiser to help with some of her out-of-pocket medical and travel costs, and in a little over a month, it had generated more than $37,000 dollars toward a $45,000 goal. According to the site, any funds that exceed the associated expenses of Randall and her family will be donated to AKTIV Against Cancer.

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“It’s been amazing,” Randall said of the community support in light of her diagnosis. “I got to come back after winning the gold medal, and of course I feel like our profile was higher than it had ever been — people were so excited and wishing me congratulations everywhere I went, but this has blown that out of the water. So many people have reached out, whether it’s over social media or messages through my website or cards arriving in the mail, people stopping me in the grocery store, they’re sharing their stories. Breast cancer’s way bigger of a deal than I ever appreciated.

“My traditional income as a ski racer was coming to an end anyway and I was going to be relying on being able to travel and do speaking engagements and things like that for some projects over the next year, and I won’t be able to do that now,” she said of the fundraiser. “It’s hard to put into words, but I just feel so supported. I’ve been reading through all those messages on the tough days and then trying to reach out to as many people as I can to say thanks.

“It’s unfortunate that it takes a situation like this to be able to appreciate the amount of people that do support me in that way,” Randall added. “But like I said, I’m blown away, I’m so grateful for it and it’s definitely going to help me through this.”

September 3, 2018
Kikkan Randall: The Exit Interview (Part II): Looking Forward

Kikkan Randall explores new rollerski terrain in Penticton, B.C., earlier this month, following her family’s move to Canada. (Photo: Kikkan Randall/Instagram)

As discussed last week in Part I of this interview, Kikkan Randall’s first-ever FIS race (that is, a race sanctioned by the International Ski Federation) occurred at U.S. nationals at Soldier Hollow in January 2000. Randall was 17 years old, the single youngest finisher in the race. Other athletes had been born in the 1960s and are now at least 48 years old. Randall raced in a first-generation Gold 2002 training suit for the fledgling Alaska Pacific University (APU) ski program. Every skier in the race had a FIS number starting with a 1.

Fast-forward 18 years and nearly 600 FIS races later. Randall’s final FIS race was the 30-kilometer classic mass start at 2018 Spring Series this past March in Craftsbury, Vermont. She crossed the finish line in third, leading out a four-racer chase pack to claim the final podium spot in the final race of her career. She followed U.S. Ski Team (USST) teammate Jessie Diggins and USST and APU teammate Sadie Bjornsen, who took first and second in a tight finish.

Randall was the oldest skier in the race by five years. She was the only athlete whose FIS number started with a 1; everyone else’s FIS number began with a 3. Earlier that week Randall’s competitors in the 10 k freestyle included Anchorage junior Molly Gellert (23rd overall), who had not yet been born when Randall did her first FIS race.

And even among the 30 k podium finishers, Diggins famously got Randall’s signature on a piece of cardboard at 2008 Junior Nationals in Anchorage, after Randall had run out of posters to sign before Diggins got to the front of the line. Bjornsen likewise looked up to Randall as a junior skier, then moved to Alaska to train with her at APU. Randall’s been doing this for a long time.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bg1nV3YHWIJ/?taken-by=kikkanimal

And when it was over, and when Randall had crossed her final finish line, she stood on the podium in a bespoke pink USA/APU suit, and sprayed champagne over her teammates. The next morning, she woke up as something other than a professional skier for the first time in nearly 20 years. She celebrated by leading a Fast and Female session in the area a few days later.

Randall’s first month of retirement was marked by lots of media appearances and a series of well-deserved honors. She was recognized by the Anchorage Assembly (which gave her a Kikkan action figure), U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame, and the APU Nordic Ski Team, among others.

And, perhaps most significantly of all, she inspired an ice-cream flavor in her honor. Gold & Glory debuted at Anchorage microcreamery Wild Scoops in early April, in advance of a “Welcome Home Olympians” celebration in nearby Town Square. The concoction involved “a sweet cream base with homemade GOLDen Graham toffee crunchies + pink strawberry sauce streaks,” store owner Elissa Brown explained on Instagram. “Topped with pink sprinkles and ‘gold medals’ while supplies last.”

The ice-cream honor was the only thing in a month of awards and media attention that threatened to make the preternaturally poised Randall lose her focus. “Wow,” said a clearly surprised Randall upon being asked by a FasterSkier reporter about the significance of having an ice-cream flavor named for her. “That’s quite an honor. I do love ice cream; I’ll have to go check that out.”

Gold & Glory Kikkan Randall commemorative ice cream at Wild Scoops microcreamery in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo: Julie Kentch)

Later that afternoon, Randall headlined the Welcome Home celebration for 16 local Olympians and Paralympians who had competed this year in PyeongChang. (Thanks to Paralympic alpine skier Andrew Kurka and his PyeongChang gold and silver, there were a healthy three Olympic medals in attendance. Another dozen or so local former Olympians joined the crowd, including skiers Nina Kemppel and Adam Verrier.)

Randall rode in on a pink fire truck. She joined the cheerleaders from her high school alma mater, East Anchorage High School, in dancing to the school fight song. She accepted the Skis To The City from Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz, then sprayed a pink streak in Hizzoner’s hair. She listened as Alaska’s senior senator, Lisa Murkowski, praised the accomplishments of all the Olympians and told them that Alaska was proud of them.

Finally, Randall took the microphone and addressed a crowd of hundreds filling Town Square on a blustery, raw, sub-freezing April afternoon. Hordes of local junior skiers clambered on to the snowbanks immediately in front of the stage to gaze up at her, Anchorage Junior Nordic hats on their heads and rapt admiration in their eyes.

“This is so amazing for us,” Randall said, “to come back to Alaska, finally, after a long and hard season traveling the world, to come back and get to celebrate with all of you guys that have been such an important part of making this gold medal and this Olympic team happen. We couldn’t be more proud to represent the state of Alaska.”

She praised the support of the community and of her teammates, and detailed all the contributions from others that had made success possible.

Randall ended her remarks by forecasting a bright future for American skiing: “It’s been a fairytale ending to an amazing journey. And now that my career’s coming to a close, I can’t wait to see what this next generation is going to do. Because they know it’s possible, we know we have the community and the support system to make it happen, and they’re going to take this far beyond. This may be the first medal in women’s cross-country, but it’s not going to be the last.”

So that’s what’s next for U.S. skiing, but what’s next for Randall? Part II of this interview answers those questions.

Note: The following story is based on an in-person interview with Randall in late April. FasterSkier’s narrative is in bold; everything else is a direct quote from Randall.

So, what comes next? Randall largely answered this question last fall; go back and review the second half of this FasterSkier article for the full version of this answer.

The short version is that she’s going to serve on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes’ Commission, take on a larger role with Fast and Female, and finish up her MBA through Alaska Pacific University (the school, not the ski team). Oh, and by the way, along with husband Jeff Ellis, parent their son, Breck Stuart Randall Ellis, while settling into the family’s new home in Penticton, British Columbia. And maybe it’d be nice to earn a living, too.

Randall is asked whether the preview version of her new career, as written out last fall, is still accurate. Here’s what she had to say:

Yes. That’s still the tentative plan.

The gold medal, of course, has opened up some new opportunities to do some more motivational speaking, which I really enjoy doing, and would love to have a couple opportunities nationally a month to do that.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhaIZkIntcT/?taken-by=kikkanimal

So that’s one part adding to the mix, and then the IOC role has turned out to be a little more than I knew I was getting into. I didn’t realize I would be on the USOC [United States Olympic Committee] Board of Directors, and so actively involved with other groups that kind of funnel into the IOC. So figuring out how to manage the time commitment there, given that it’s all volunteer.

And my source of income, which has been racing, is now shifting, so figuring out how to do all these things that I’m passionate about, and I love, and I want to contribute to, but still be able to provide for my family.

… And then realizing there’s only 24 hours in a day, and I want to be a good mom, and I want to be physically active, and still see my husband, and do all these other things. So it’s going to be – after the last 20 years being pretty darn predictable, it’s now a whole new scheduling challenge and energy-management challenge. But, there are so many good things to look forward to, that I think will help me transition out and give me really good focus, new passions.

I’ve heard that some athletes really struggle after they retire because you are so passionate about your sport, and it gives you so much structure and daily accomplishment, that when you don’t have that anymore, you can really just kind of go into a mental tailspin. So having these great things already lined up that are going to be really engaging and fun to work on I think will be really helpful.

Randall may be understating things somewhat when she talks about the structure and daily accomplishment of being a full-time athlete; she has trained twice a day, 48 weeks a year, for most of the past 20 years, and duly recorded every workout. That’s a lot of daily structure.

But there is also a certain broader rhythm to the seasons that attaches to this lifestyle – starting up training again in May, volume in June, intensity in the fall, and so on. Randall is asked, in an interview conducted in late April, what it is going to feel like to not be beginning a new training year next week on May 1, or to spend a complete summer uninterrupted by training blocks on Eagle Glacier, or to spend mid-November somewhere other than far northern Scandinavia for pre-World Cup races. Randall is quick to acknowledge the magnitude of the change, while still concluding that it’s time to move on.

You know, I’ve been surprised at how quickly I’m starting to realize that it’s gonna feel pretty weird. I did my last race, just coming up on the one-month mark, and, while I’ve been excited to finish a great career, to be able to now go and do new opportunities and things, it is kind of settling in, the fact that I won’t have the excuse to go out and train twice a day, and do all these exercises. And most importantly, that I won’t be meeting up with my teammates, who have really just become such close friends, and coaches and everything.

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So I know it’s going to be a pretty dramatic stretch, and April has been kind of a free pass, in that it’s always kind of the time of year when we are flexible. It’s felt pretty normal so far, but as next week starts, and summer drags on, I’m sure it’s going to be pretty strange.

But all good things come to an end, and I think it’s still the right time to transition out, so it just gives me a greater appreciation for what I’ve been able to do, and recognizing what parts of that life I want to continue forward – you know, I want to stay active and fit, and it’s just going to be a new challenge of how to figure out how to do that, while balancing everything else.

That challenge, for an elite athlete, often involves coming to grips with the fact that they still love moving and being outside, yet by definition will spend the rest of their life older and slower than when training was their full-time job.

Two models for how to negotiate this post-career period (which, it should be noted, represents multiple decades and the majority of one’s life) are suggested, the Adam Verrier model and the Nina Kemppel model, corresponding to two local former Olympians.

Briefly put, Verrier moved to Anchorage after his college ski career ended, qualified for the 1994 Olympics, then stayed in Anchorage and basically never stopped racing. He has won nearly every notable trail race in southcentral Alaska, and placed on the podium of the 50 k Tour of Anchorage, the unofficial citizens race championship for the state of Alaska, eight times between 1995 and 2007, including three victories.

Kemppel, by contrast, raced in four Olympics from 1992–2002, then ultimately returned to Anchorage after earning an MBA outside of Alaska. She has lived here for years, and presumably remains quite active, but does not seem to have entered an official running or skiing race since returning to Anchorage. “I’ve become more and more of a weekend warrior because of my job,” Kemppel told the Anchorage Daily News in a 2012 article noting her return home.

Randall is asked with which pole of post-career racing she envisions being more closely aligned.

I probably hope for something in between. I am already recognizing that with family commitments and some of the – I mean, the gold medal changed the reality a lot, in terms of what opportunities are available, and my position with the IOC is going to be very busy. So while I love the idea of just staying super-fit and doing all that, it’s going to be a challenge to be able to do that. But I also love being able to be active every single day, so I hope to be able to build that into my new life.

As far as racing goes, I don’t have any real plans in the near future. I’ve always been interested in trying some mountain biking stuff, and I think it’d be cool to dabble with some new sports. There’s a big triathlon community down in B.C. where we’re going to be, so maybe that’s something to get into. [Randall has at least one victory and four runner-up finishes in Anchorage’s Gold Nugget Triathlon, one of the largest and longest-running women’s-only triathlons in the country.] Having races in the future is a good motivation for just making sure you get out the door every day, and you have a plan of what you’re working towards. So I like that idea, but I don’t need to necessarily keep racing at a high level all the time.

And ski racing-wise, it would be fun to do some events I’ve never done, like the Birkie and stuff, but I don’t know at what level I’ll be racing.

But I do really enjoy racing, I love the opportunity to just get out there with everybody, put the bib on, and go push yourself, so I think I’ll continue to do some of it.

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[Randall has often spoken of shifting into a race gear or finishing gear when she is racing well, or of being unable to make that shift when she is not. She is asked what it’s going to be like, two months or two years from now, when she’s at the point in a race when all of her training and experience tell her that it’s time to make that shift, but her body won’t let her do what her mind wants to.]

I’m sure that’s going to be tough. Thankfully the number of years I’ve been competing, I think I do have a nice window of time where that’s not going to just disappear overnight. But I can tell already, in the last month where I haven’t done a whole lot, and all of a sudden jumping into doing things a little harder again, it’s like, Whoa, what are you doing? So yeah, I’m sure it’s going to be tough to not be as fit as I would have been in the last 20 years… but that’s just the way it goes.

That world-class fitness was not easily won. Over the course of her career, Randall increased her annual training hours consistently and substantially, from roughly 300 in high school to nearly 800 by the height of her career, adding in intensity along the way. “You hadn’t trained hard enough if you hadn’t started crying,” Randall once told Outside Magazine of 2008, “the year of intensity.” (It is worth noting that 2008 also saw Randall undergo two surgeries for the blood clot that nearly killed her. But they were both in April, so presumably she didn’t miss too much training. She would win her first World Championships medal, Liberec, Czech Republic, in February 2009.)

But when asked what she won’t miss about this lifestyle, the first thing Randall mentions is not the staggeringly difficult Level 4 bounding workouts, but rather the simple quotidian drudgery of preparing for and completing two workouts a day, every day, over and over and over again.

I think always having to do two workouts a day. Over the last couple of years, especially once we had Breck, it was hard at times, to just go, I’ve got to change my outfit again, I’ve got to go out there, maybe the weather’s not great, and I know I’ve got two hours to log. And just putting in the amount of time out there – it got tough. So some of that part I won’t miss, just having to do it all the time.

Having the time open and available for new things now, not having to just constantly change outfits – into training clothes, out of training clothes. And traveling with so much gear. It’s just been nice to do a couple trips now where I just pack a couple things, and off you go, not have to drag a ski bag all around the world.

The APU men pushing each other during a workout at an Eagle Glacier training camp, July 2015. (Photo: Zuzanna Rogers)

Going up on the glacier was always – it was such a great training environment, and it was such an amazing resource to have, but you could never really appreciate it in the moment when you’re up there. When you’re on Day 2, and you’re staring down five more days of just what you know is going to be a lot of hard training, and just knowing you have nowhere to go, you’re stuck up there, you’re away from your family. And so, I won’t miss, again, just having to do that … at the same time, I think I’m quickly going to miss the opportunity where I got to do that.

So it all comes into perspective: When you’re in the midst of it, you can’t wait to be done with it and not have to do it anymore, but then quickly you realize, like, what a cool opportunity it was.

Now that Randall is no longer in the midst of it, she has one heck of a formidable resource: 20 years’ worth of training logs and data. And she has saved all of it, too, starting with a log provided by her high school coach, Harry Johnson, at the East High Cross-Country Team, and continuing through to more recent versions contained in an array of spreadsheets.

Unsurprisingly for an athlete who has spent much of her career raising others up along with her, Randall is decidedly magnanimous when asked what she plans to do with all this training data.

Erik [Flora] has all my logs, so he has all that data, and he’s of course free to use it however he sees fit. The U.S. Ski Team also has all my logs. I know they’ve already integrated a lot of stuff into their planning for the development pipeline, and kind of what we’ve learned.

So yeah, it’s all open and available to those guys to use because I hope that my career can help just make the road better for the next group coming through. Because I learned a lot off of what people before me did, and what worked for them and what didn’t work for them, and then we kind of progressed that forward. And I think already we’ve been able to create a totally better training environment than when I even started. So keep pushing it forward, and I’m glad that that information’s out there.

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And it’s pretty fun to be able to get to the end of it now, and look back over the progression and the work, and what went well, what didn’t, and all that stuff.

And I’m so glad that I recorded all that, because part of my log, too, is comments on training every day, and that in a sense is a diary for me, because I haven’t really recorded that anywhere else. And now that my career spans so long, it’s so nice to be able to go back and read through that, and realize what was going on in my life day-to-day, through all the years and the training. And it also helped my relationship with my coaches, to best understand what was going on with me, and to be able to adapt the training around that.

While presumably no athlete has ever said that the physical hardware itself was the point or the telos – as opposed to the hard work that went into winning a race, the pride of accomplishment, the friendships made along the way, etc. – the fact remains that Randall’s personal trophy case is extensive. There’s an Olympic gold medal, for one. But also three World Championships medals. And three Sprint Cup Crystal Globes. And a medal for third overall in the 2012/2013 World Cup standings. And 29 World Cup podium medals.

And even, if you go go back far enough, 10 Alaska state high school championship ribbons, three for cross-country running and seven for track, in distances from 800m to 3,200m. (Fun fact: Randall never won an Alaska high school state cross-country skiing title, but she did go on to have a more successful post-high school ski career than the girl who consistently beat her, Service High School’s Tara Hamilton, who went on to ski for the University of Denver and “only” won an NCAA national title.)

Randall is asked where all these awards currently are, and what she plans to do with them.

I’d love to find ways to get it out there. It’s been so fun, just carrying around the gold medal already, sharing it with everybody; it’s something for people to see, to look at. One of my crystal globes is at the L.L.Bean store in a case, so that’s already kind of being shared. The other two right now are just kind of sitting at home in their carrying cases. And I’m not sure exactly where my World Championships medals are; they’re packed somewhere in the move. But it would be fun to, I think, have some displays out, share it around.

Kikkan Randall with her third consecutive Sprint World Cup Crystal Globe, 2014. (Photo: Fischer/Nordic Focus)

Because, now that we’re kind of starting fresh with the new home in B.C., and as Breck grows up, and Jeff has some incredible accomplishments of his own, I would love our family space to be a little bit about our future, and not so much about my past in particular. So if I can get my awards in places that can inspire others, and people can share that piece of history, I think that would be better than just having it at my home somewhere.

I’d love to see something here at APU, to really celebrate the connection of what we do with the ski team, so that everyone knows about it, gets to feel a part of it. And then the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame, of course, at the airport is a pretty cool demonstration, and who knows where else in town we can have some sort of display maybe. Anchorage certainly deserves a lot of the credit for this.

As Randall observed, her focus in life is currently on the future of her family. But it’s worth noting that her husband, Jeff Ellis, was no athletic slouch himself; he was a World Cup skier for Canada who scored a podium in an Alpen Cup race as well as multiple podia in NorAm races. All of which begs the question, what will Randall and Ellis do when an 8-year-old Breck tells them he wants to do a local running race, or an 11-year-old Breck announces he wants to join a junior ski team?

I would like to follow a lot of the lead that my parents had for me, in that they really felt like they wanted to let me direct the choices. And so when I got interested in something, and wanted to do it, I was welcome to try it.

And then the rule was, once I signed up for something, I was committed to that for at least that season. And a lot of times, I would get excited, sign up for something, and then get into a few days of practice and go, ‘Yeah, I don’t think I want to do this.’ But my parents were like, ‘No, you committed to it, so you’re going to see it through to the end of the season. And then once the season is over, if you want to move on to something else, you’re more than welcome.’

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So I think I’d like to follow a similar thing with Breck – introduce him to some things that, you know, both Jeff and I are interested in, because we’d love to let him have a similar experience, but let him guide it. If he’s interested, he can keep doing it; if not, he can move on to something else, and just kind of learn that, once you commit to something, you’ve got to see it through.

And then we’ll just see where it goes from there. I hope to be supportive of whatever direction he takes, and if he gets excited about competitive things and training and wanting to take that route, just support him along the way. So we’ll see.

And finally, the woman who was, famously, the only mom on Team USA at PyeongChang (less fun fact: it was ultimately too expensive for Randall and Ellis to bring Breck to South Korea with them, and he spent the Games with his grandparents in Canada), who nursed an infant from birth through the first month of the 2016/2017 World Cup season and who spent two winters traveling through Europe with a child and a ton of baby gear in tow, is asked how much 2-year-old Breck understands about Mommy’s job.

I think the coolest part right now is, because he’s not necessarily going to be aware of the specifics of what I do, he’s just been around it. He enjoys watching people ski by, he wants to put on skis himself and try it. He’s just kind of being unconsciously subjected to the lifestyle and the people, and that’s been really fun.

And the night before the team sprint, I was Facetiming with him – he was back in Canada with Jeff’s parents – and I said, you know, “Tomorrow Mommy’s got a big race at the Olympics, do you have anything to say?” And he just said, “Gooooooooo!”

And I think he was saying “go,” because my mother-in-law has coached him a little bit to say “Go go Mommy!” So he was kind of saying “go,” but at the same time it almost sounded like, “Gooooooold!”

And last year at World Championships, when he was just 10 months old, he was playing with the bronze medal, and then this year I gave him the gold medal, and he actually kind of looked at, and then he just dropped it and walked away. And since then he’s seen it around a lot, so he’s getting a little bit more interested in it … but he won’t realize what it is for a while, but I think it will be really cool to show him that he was a part of it, and it will be interesting to see what his take on it is later on.

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I know that Kateřina Neumannová – I thought it was such a cool moment, and I was there in Torino when she won the 30 k, and her two-year-old daughter came running out to the finish area. I just always loved the image of that.

So a couple years ago, when I first got my pink Kikkan poles, she got in touch and said, “Kikkan, I need a pair of your poles.”

I’m like, Kateřina Neumannová’s getting in touch with me? Like, ‘Whoa, you’re my hero.’ And she’s like, ‘My daughter just absolutely thinks you are amazing, you are her favorite racer, and if I can get a pair of your poles for her birthday, she’s trying to decide between tennis and ski racing right now, and I’m hoping she’ll choose skiing, hoping that this will help.’

And I was like, ‘But does your daughter know who you are? And she’s like, Yeah, it’s kind of a she could care less who I am kind of thing, I’m just her mom.’

[Randall sent the poles to Neumannová. They were appreciated:]

https://www.instagram.com/p/zo3zfijSt7/

So it will be funny to see what Breck’s reaction is to it all. I think it’s cool that he got to be a part of it, and we’ll get to show him the pictures and everything. But what he’s going to really grow up with is knowing me as his mom, beyond the career. So the focus gets to be on our family and on him.

* * *

Disclosure: The author is an Alaska Pacific University masters skier who grew up doing Anchorage youth sports in the same generation as Randall; they skied together in Anchorage Junior Nordic in the early 1990s.

May 18, 2018
Approaching Final Season, Randall Looks Forward

U.S. Ski Team members Jessie Diggins (l) and Kikkan Randall hold the American flag during a victory “lap” down the homestretch after placing second and third, respectively, in the women’s freestyle sprint at 2017 Nordic World Championships in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Kikkan Randall is approaching a season full of lasts: her final season as a full-time athlete, her final season on the World Cup, and, she hopes, her fifth and final Olympics. Her main focus these days is resolutely on the future, but she took some time earlier this month to speak with FasterSkier about her summer training and what comes next.

Summer training

Randall’s final summer of training was anchored by the same thing as most of the 17 summers before it: multiple weeklong training camps on Eagle Glacier, the Alaska Pacific University (APU) facility in the Chugach Mountains above Girdwood, Alaska. But this summer saw Randall take only two trips to the glacier, instead of the three camps attended by most of the APU team.

In place of a third glacier camp, Randall traded a short helicopter ride for a long plane flight and traveled to Sweden for a 12-day training camp with the Swedish national team. It was Randall, fellow U.S. Ski Team (USST) member Liz Stephen, and 10 women from the Swedish team, Randall explained in a phone interview.

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Randall began her trip with three days in Östersund, Sweden, with Anna Haag and Stephen, who was coming from the Blink rollerski festival in Gjesdal and Sandnes, Norway. Then came three days in Åre with the full Swedish national team, as well as USST Women’s Coach Matt Whitcomb. The remaining days of camp were spent with the full Swedish team near Vålådalen. The whole thing made for a “really sweet” 12-day training block, Randall recalled.

American skiers were hardly receiving invitations to train with Scandinavian national teams at the start of Randall’s career, but such exchange programs are now relatively commonplace. This was not Randall or Stephen’s first such trip to Sweden, and Jessie Diggins joined the Norwegian national team for a camp last summer.

“I think it’s also a strong testament to our nation, and our program as a good partner to Norway as well,” Whitcomb previously said about the invitation, as well as speaking highly of both Diggins and the Norwegians.

“We’re all training at a high level now,” Randall says when asked whether she sees similarities or differences between American and Swedish training. “We’re all doing very similar types of training, loads of training.”

But even if the training quality and quantity are comparable, the logistics are different, reflecting the simple fact that the U.S. is more than 20 times larger than Sweden, with top-level skiers spread out across five time zones and thousands of miles.

“The real difference for me and what stands out is just the lifestyle of it,” Randall reflects, “and how the Scandinavians never have to travel more than three or four hours away from home. They get together for camps once every three weeks. They’re in camp but they’re these shorter camps and then they go home. Whereas for us, we have the geographical challenges of so much more travel, that when we get together, we have to get together for longer to make it worthwhile, but that of course changes the exact kind of training we can do within a camp, so that part’s varied a little bit.”

The difference isn’t just academic, but rather bears on the type of training that can be done in a group environment. “This camp we went to was an aggressive training schedule,” Randall notes, “and I don’t think it would be smart to necessarily take that schedule and bring it back to the U.S. and replicate it because just the way we live is a little different.”

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Randall found a valuable training stimulus from the camp, and appreciated the chance to “rub elbows with those guys, be like, OK, I may train a little differently, but I’m on track, versus having to wait seven months between race seasons and not knowing where the heck you are.”

But even more than the reality check on training and fitness, she says that it helps to have local friends in Europe when the Americans are on the road and living out of a suitcase for four months at a stretch.

“I think the biggest benefit” of this offseason training exchange “is that we get to know them as people,” Randall notes. “When we’re on the World Cup, then all of a sudden we have these friends on other teams. If we do need a weekend off and want to go to a home, we can go home with them and get a little break or we see them and we go out for jogs together. It’s pretty cool because I’ve developed lifelong friends now and I look forward to continuing to visit beyond just these training years. I think that shared experience is what really makes it special to me.”

The final World Cup season and the Olympics

It’s tough for any American skier to spend that long away from home. But Randall, with husband Jeff Ellis and support from family members on both sides, is upping the logistical ante by bringing along a toddler. The couple’s son, Breck Stuart Randall Ellis, turns 18 months old next month, and will be spending his second winter on the World Cup circuit.

“Our plan is to pack up early November and head over as a family,” Randall says of their approach for the 2017/2018 season. “We’ve got most of the winter figured out. We’ve got a few more apartment-style accommodations lined up this year. We know with a busy year-and-a-half-year-old, it’s going to be a little harder to contain him in a hotel room. We’re trying to set up the best kind of situation for our family.”

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Randall and Ellis have most of the winter already dialed in, but there’s still one large hole left in their schedule: PyeongChang. “The challenge we’re really wrestling with right now is with what to do about the Olympics,” Randall notes.

Randall is certain that she wants to have her child with her in South Korea if at all possible. “Ideally I’d have Breck at the Olympics,” she says.

Looking back to the 2017 World Championships, Randall says, “I think that was a really positive force having him with me at Lahti, but it’s looking to be exorbitantly expensive to be able to have him in South Korea nearby. We’re looking for accommodations, figuring out can we possibly afford this, and if not, what are some other options? We don’t have a clear answer on that one yet. Outside of that we’re looking forward to a totally fun winter altogether.”

It’s no secret to any parent that traveling with kids is tough. Alaska parents arguably learn this as well as anyone, just because it’s so darn far to travel anywhere from The Last Frontier. (Figure three hours’ flying time from Anchorage to Seattle alone, in the shortest flight that most Alaska kids ever take. And forget driving; that’s a 2,400-mile roadtrip.) It’s tempting to think that a four- or five-time Olympian would have an easier time of things, but Randall recounts challenges and choices that are relatable to any parent.

“It’s an interesting dilemma,” Randall analyzes, “just thinking about it from all sides, because on one hand, it was my choice to have a baby and with that comes different logistical challenges than when you don’t have children. At the same time, I am a strong contributing member of this team, I hope I can contribute to some Olympic medals, and for me to perform at my best, like I said, it was always a really positive influence to have Breck around while I was competing at the World Championships. It would be awesome if I could be able to have him there with me so that I could be in the right state of mind and perform really well. It’s, ‘Do I need to shoulder all the cost myself or can I get some support from the [United States Olympic Committee] or from the U.S. Ski Team?’ At this point it’s going to be fairly challenging to make it happen on our own.”

Complicating matters for anyone who hopes to stay outside of official athlete housing, as of this spring the PyeongChang area was reportedly facing a severe shortage of Olympic accommodations. These problems had not been alleviated as of earlier this month.

Skiing and parenting

Randall speaks candidly about the tradeoffs of doing her job effectively versus being available to her child, a balancing act instantly familiar to any parent. Breck was not with her in Sweden for last month’s 12-day training camp; Randall and Ellis “felt like that wasn’t a super-long stint,” and Breck was able to stay with Ellis and grandparents in Canada while Randall focused on training in Sweden. Randall was also solo at spring camp in Bend (also 12 days), and at each of the two Eagle Glacier camps (6–7 days each).

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“It has actually been a pretty challenging summer,” Randall notes. “I’ve had to be away from him a lot more than I had to be last year. I think I’m willing to do this now because I know it’s my last season. I can’t imagine doing it really any longer.”

She continues, “I’m glad he’ll be with me most of the winter and in Park City [at a USST training camp next month], because it’s getting tougher and tougher to be away, even though it’s nice for training and recovery and sleep and rest. I definitely miss him.”

If athletic training is, generally, a balancing act, then training while parenting is a balancing act while riding a unicycle backwards and juggling flaming knives. If those knives could at any moment start having a meltdown because they couldn’t find their preferred socks or a favorite toy. (Good thing Randall knows how to ride a unicycle.) Choosing between having your child be with you or with a supportive spouse is one such tradeoff. Choosing between more effective recovery and more effective parenting is another such tradeoff, one that Randall has to negotiate at least twice a day as a parent and an athlete.

“The hardest part for me,” Randall analyzes, “is when I’m tired and I come home [from training] and I know that the most productive thing for me is to recover, take a nap, get some time off my feet, to make the next workout effective and do my job, in a sense. But I also have this little boy who wants my attention and I love spending time with him, and it’s been a challenge this summer to navigate that and find a happy medium. I think some days I end up being more of a mom and some days I can, with the support of my husband and my parents, I can be a focused athlete.”

Randall and Ellis have made it work for a year, but Randall doesn’t want to have to make those choices much longer. “Like I said, I can wrap my mind around doing this one more year to make a final push at this Olympics, but that’s why I can’t think about doing it any longer, because I want to be able to not have that dilemma anymore.”

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(Randall perceptively acknowledges that this dilemma never really goes away: “I know that while I look forward to not having the restrictions of a ski racer’s life for my family next year, I know that there’ll be, getting back to a more normal life of a job and wanting to fit in training and family and how all that’s going to work. I think it’s an issue a lot of parents face.”)

After PyeongChang

Randall remains committed to her goals for this season, and is working hard to achieve them. But she has also begun to think about what happens next.

So what to do following a nearly two-decade career as a professional athlete? Get involved in athlete representation, of course.

Randall is one of six athletes currently running for two open spots on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes’ Commission, a representative body established in 1981 for the purpose of representing athletes and their concerns within the IOC context. The commission’s mission is “to ensure that the athletes’ viewpoint remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement decisions,” says its website.

Elections will be held in February 2018 during the Olympics.

Randall has spent many years as a cross-country representative to the FIS Athletes’ Commission, which plays a comparable role relative to the International Ski Federation (FIS), but has not previously served on the IOC commission.

“Why do you want to do this?” Randall is asked.

“That’s a good question,” she replies. “Because it is an eight-year commitment. … I definitely asked myself if I want to go from being committed to a ski racer’s life, finally be retired from competition, and then go right into another eight-year commitment, but I really have enjoyed the athlete representation work I’ve done over the last eight years. I think to take that experience and expand it to the IOC level would just be really interesting.”

Randall has a politician’s poise as she explains why she wants to continue her involvement with the Olympics: “I think now is a great time to get involved and help strengthen the Olympic movement, get it back to a point where it’s being a good force in the world, because I want to see the Olympics still be important for my children, still be important for your children,” she tells a FasterSkier reporter who is also a parent. “I don’t want to see the Olympics go away. I’m hoping I can blend my experience having been an athlete at four Olympics, hopefully number five coming up, and then also having worked on the other side, representing the athletes, being in the business side of the sport, and I just think it would be a really cool way to stay involved.”

But she also seems authentically committed when she talks about the potential of the Olympics as a force for good.

“Bringing the world together every two years for an Olympic Games just creates so much goodwill amongst our global community and it inspires everybody to really find the best in themselves in a fair and clean way, which I think is really good for humanity.”

Norway’s Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen, another candidate for the IOC Athletes’ Commission, racing to bronze during the women’s 10 k classic at the 2017 Nordic World Championships in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)

As noted, there are six Winter Olympics athletes in the running for two open spots on the Athletes’ Commission. The other five candidates are Spanish skeleton racer Ander Mirambell, Finnish hockey player Emma Terho, Chinese long-track speedskater Zhang Hong, Italian luger Armin (“Il Cannibale”) Zöggeler, and Norwegian cross-country skier Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen.

Randall does not reject a suggestion that the presence of both her and Jacobsen could to some extent split the “Nordic vote.”

“By having two cross-country skiers in the mix, it does have the potential to dilute the vote,” she notes. But she continues, “I think you can also look at it as we now have two ponies in the race. Both of us in the election and there’s probably a better chance that a cross-country athlete will make it to the IOC Commission. That’s good odds.”

Randall is quick to call Jacobsen, with whom she has previously trained on Eagle Glacier as an invited guest of the North American Women’s Training Alliance, an “accomplished person,” who “put a lot of thought into taking on this role.” But she diplomatically notes that Jacobsen “is coming from one side of getting involved in the athlete representation side, at least in an international way, for the first time. I’m coming from the side where I’ve been involved. It’ll just be interesting where people land on who they want to put forward.”

What comes next: Retirement and Canada

First things first, Randall officially plans to retire after this season. “I haven’t done an official press release,” she notes, “but I’ve definitely talked about it to plenty of people. Most people know that’s my plan.”

That leaves Randall and her family (Ellis has spent the past five years working as marketing support manager for the World Cup, but would presumably no longer want to spend all winter in Europe without his wife and son) needing jobs, and a place to do them.

What she’ll be doing next year is “also a very good question,” Randall says. “We’ve been talking about that as a family for a while.”

Randall notes that Ellis “has been very supportive,” pointing out that he moved to Alaska 10 years ago for her sake and has supported her once he retired from his own ski career. “We’ve always talked about once I retire from skiing to be open to chasing some career opportunities for him,” Randall notes. “He’s Canadian; maybe that meant moving to Canada and experiencing that for a while.”

The couple were exploring their options this spring when “an opportunity fell into our lap”: Ellis was invited to apply for a job with Swagman, a bike rack company based in Penctiton, British Columbia, about a four-hour drive east of Vancouver.

“It was total long shot because they were looking to fill the position in April of this year,” Randall notes. But Ellis applied anyway, “just to see what would happen.” He got the job. They were willing to hold it open for him for roughly a year, till April 2018, if he would be willing to move there. Penctiton it is for the Randall–Ellis family.

(Ellis was born in Orangeville, Ontario, and is a Canadian citizen. As the child of an American and a Canadian, Breck has dual citizenship. Randall is working on the immigration paperwork to gain legal residency in Canada as the spouse of a Canadian national.)

While Ellis works for Swagman, as well as parenting, Randall will be pursuing at least two other projects, as well as parenting.

Kikkan Randall (left) and former Canadian national team member Chandra Crawford (32) leading the Fast and Female forerunners before the classic sprint at Stage 5 of the 2016 Ski Tour Canada in Canmore, Alberta. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)

For one, she wants to be able to devote more attention to Fast and Female, a nonprofit sports advocacy group that, its website explains, aims at “keeping girls healthy, happy and active in sports through their teens by introducing them to inspiring athlete role models.” (You may have seen one of their Champ Chats in a ski community near you, particularly if you are the parent of a preteen or young teenager girl.) Randall is the U.S. leader of an international organization that was founded by Canadian skier Chandra Crawford in 2005.

“We’ve kept the U.S. side in a maintenance mode for the last few years,” Randall notes of Fast and Female, “since my time’s been limited, but since now that I can work on it more full time, I look forward to helping grow the U.S. organization maybe to the level that they’ve been operating in Canada. That’s a project on the horizon, depending on how this IOC athletes’ election goes. Should I get that position, that’s going to be a commitment. I want to be able to be flexible around that.”

And for another, she plans to finally get that degree. Randall graduated summa cum laude from East Anchorage High School in 2001 [around the time of the below throwback photo], then has been working on her undergraduate degree in business from Alaska Pacific University (the school, not the ski team) ever since.

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Randall has three classes left at this point. She plans to combine that with a flexible MBA program that recognizes the value of work experience, and to graduate from APU, with both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in hand, by 2019.

Randall will attend the APU classes through a mix of online learning and intensive class blocks held in Anchorage. She looks forward to staying involved with the Anchorage and APU ski communities, and hopes that the MBA program “kind of creates a blend, allows me to move on to our next step … but also keeps me connected” with Anchorage as she goes through this period of transition.

Looking back and looking ahead (mostly just ahead)

But Randall has a lot of things to get through first in the next six months: her last Park City camp, her last World Cup season opener, (presumably) her last Olympics, her last World Cup race, and so on.

She’s spending much more energy these days training hard than stopping and reflecting, though the significance of some of these “lasts” isn’t lost on her. “I’ve got big goals I’m working towards this year,” she says. “I have my head down a lot of the time working toward that. Though when I was leaving the glacier, knowing it was the last camp, it hit me a little bit.”

But then she adds, “I really do want to take this year in, enjoy it, of course, leave everything I have on the table. I think I have a good perspective now. I got a little practice run the year I was pregnant because I stepped away from the racing season and I got to really appreciate what I love about racing and about training and about my team. This last two years, I think it’s given me the perspective to slow down a little bit and enjoy it because it will be over before we know it.”

Bottom line, Randall says, “Everything I love to do I get to do one more time, and everything that has been hard and maybe I don’t love doing, I only have to do it one more time.”

Randall made this final comment while driving back from the day’s first workout on a blustery and raw Tuesday in September. She made no mention of the weather, but it was a day when the first big fall storm of the season was rolling out of the Gulf of Alaska; a cold rain fell all day, temperatures stayed in the 40s, and the local paper warned of winds gusting to 45 miles per hour, nearly twice that in the mountains. Going back to her freshman year of high school, Randall has trained through the last 21 Alaska autumns.

September 29, 2017
A New Dawn for Diggins: Learning to ‘Do it for myself’

Jessie Diggins (U.S. Ski Team) loving on her Salomon boards after placing second in Tuesday’s 10 k skiathlon at Stage 3 of the Tour de Ski in Oberstdorf, Germany. (Photo: Salomon/NordicFocus)

A little more than four years ago, a group of women clad in all black race suits and bib 3 huddled in an athlete warming room. The muffled voice of an announcer speaking in Swedish could be heard broadcasting outside, an English translation relaying the same message: 10 minutes to start.

The quartet departed the building, four blondes — one highlighted pink — headed for the start gate. A pass through a patch of sunlight revealed a second similarity. Cheeks swiped in sparkles, artwork courtesy of the then and now, youngest U.S. Ski Team (USST) A-team member, Jessie Diggins.

Diggins would go on to anchor the team in what became a historic cross-country World Cup relay for the U.S. — it was the first time an American women’s team reached the podium, with the group finishing in third overall.

The U.S. women (l-r Kikkan Randall, Holly Brooks, Jessie Diggins, and Liz Stephen) after their first ever World Cup relay podium in November 2012. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)

It could be said that the game-face glitter and a give-it-all relay leg performance from Diggins was the kickstarter of her World Cup career.

For the next few years, team races such as the above, would become some of the Afton, Minn., native’s favorite, and arguably, better performances. Her first individual podium came almost exactly a year ago at the 2015/2016 Tour de Ski.

“For years, I would pull out these awesome performances on relay day and I was like, ‘Oh my God, where did that come from?’ ” Diggins said during a phone conversation in November.

Now, at 25 years old, Diggins has reached the World Cup podium 13 times. Of the eight individual podiums, six occurred last season. The other two more recent: her win in the 5 k freestyle race last month and her second place finish in Tuesday’s Stage 3 skiathlon in Obsterdorf, Germany.

With close to five years of World Cup racing now under her belt, Diggins explained that while her love for team racing and facepaint has not changed, her mental approach toward individual races has. Part of the difference stemmed from her discovery that her individual effort is no less important than the one she puts forth for the team.

“I finally realized it’s OK to race that hard in an individual race, too,” she said. “Like that doesn’t make me a bad person for wanting to do it for myself and for my hometown and for all the people cheering for me.”

That said, Diggins is not bent on lining up and looking for the win at the start of every ski race this season. Her focus, as she indicated, will be where it matters: the Tour de Ski — which she currently ranks fifth in — and 2017 World Championships in Lahti, Finland.

“You’re not going to be able to race to the point of being barely conscious 40 times,” Diggins said, predicting that, if this season matches last year’s competition count, she’ll probably tackle close to 40 ski races. “I’m going to get ready for the big races, like the tours, World Championships, the ones that are the most important to me.”

Left to right: American Jessie Diggins with Norway’s Kari Øyre Slind and Ragnhild Haga after a strength training session with the Norwegian ski team this summer. (Photo: Roar Hjelmeset)

A firm believer in the role every individual plays within the team structure, Diggins described her part within the women’s USST as that of a “spark plug.” While some individuals show strength in race analytics, others psychological breakdown, hers comes as enthusiasm for the sport itself, which includes her signature sparkles.

“You know, everyone has very unique skills that they bring to the table and mine is energetic optimism,” Diggins said. “I’m kind of the cheerleader of the team, if you will, covered in glitter. My job is to make the team, get people excited about what we’re doing.”

Diggins does her job well. As an athlete ambassador for Fast and Female, once again aiding with the ‘dance and endurance’ station at this fall’s annual event in Park City, Utah, she acted as inspiration for more than 160 girls in attendance.

Her enthusiasm for the sport is also proactive. Before last season came to a close, she approached the Norwegian women’s head coach at the time, Egil Kristiansen, at the Ski Tour Canada, proposing the notion of her joining his Norwegian team for a summer training camp.

Three months after her conversation, Diggins received an email from Norway’s new women’s head coach, Roar Hjelmeset, listing training camps she could attend.

“If you want to be the best, why not go train with the best?” Diggins said of why she chose Norway.

With many of the Norwegian women a similar age as herself (to include some of Norway’s leading talent: Heidi Weng, Maiken Caspersen Falla and Ingvild Flugstad Østberg), and the potential of racing alongside these same athletes for the next few years, Diggins also saw an opportunity to create connections as more than just competitors.

“If you want to be the best, why not go train with the best?” — Jessie Diggins on spending a week training with the Norwegian national team

“Why not make good friends and have a coffee buddy in between races on the World Cup?” Diggins said. “I love making friends and learning more cultural things. It’s about more than just skiing, I guess, for me.”

Her time in Norway gave her more than just a few extra World Cup coffee buddies. She was also able to compare notes on Norway’s training strategies with those of the U.S. What she found was, surprisingly, there were no big secrets. Much of the training she did with the Norwegians mirrored work she’d done at camps on North American soil.

“The training we did over there in Norway was almost identical to what we did at our Bend camp,” Diggins said of the U.S. Ski Team’s annual spring camp. “We just need to believe in ourselves as a nation and know that eventually we will get there too.”

It wasn’t that her Norwegian counterparts were doing more intervals than what she was used to or even longer. What it did come down to, according to Diggins, was the complete conviction with which they approached their training plan, even if it meant doing less than others around them.

“They go into every workout with this awesome confidence, like what I’m doing today is the right thing for me and it’s going to make me faster and I’m going to kick ass,” Diggins said. “It’s just a really good mindset I really admire.

“It’s really hard because a lot of us are wired in that more, more, more, more is better,” she added. “It’s my job to train, so I’ll just train a ton. But it doesn’t always make you faster, unfortunately. Or else it be super easy and we’d all be winning World Cups.”

As she continues to become a regular podium contender and challenger of Norwegian names, Diggins proves that the trust she has placed in her training is not to be taken lightly. With another individual win added to her first one from last year, Diggins doesn’t doubt her ability do it for herself or her team.

“Last year was a big confidence boost,” she said. “Now [coming into this season], I know that I can do it, because I’ve done it before.”

***

We asked Diggins to give our ’17 Questions for 2017′ a go. Here are her responses:

1. Biggest change in your life in the last five or so months since the ski season ended?

Not a whole lot has changed! I’m still a ski bum living out of my suitcase, and the longest I’ve been in one place was 3 weeks in a row. I guess the biggest change is that I can now pack up my life in under an hour (yep, I clocked it).

2. Biggest change in your training?

I’m still slowly getting better at finding the line between training a lot and recovering from it before moving on, and paying a lot of attention to how I’m feeling day to day is something that’s helped me a lot over the past year.

3. Major areas of improvement you’ve seen so far?

Classic technique! I’ve been putting a lot of work into classic over the years and I’m finally feeling as comfortable striding as I am skating. I can’t believe I just wrote that.

4. Whom you’ve been working closest with this offseason (coaches or training partners)?

I work with a lot of people! Jason Cork has been my personal coach (and tech!) for a looooong time, and I also train and work with the USST coaches and athletes. I spend the summer bouncing between USST camps and living and training with my teammates at SMS and our SMS team coach, Pat. Basically, I love working with everyone. I even got a special trip to Norway to train with their National team girls, and I had such a great camp with them. I firmly believe that the more we can get together and help each other get better and faster, the better everyone will be!

5. Best trip in the last five months (and why)?

I have a serious thing for New Zealand. We had another amazing training camp there this August, and I love everything about that country! The training was amazing with 35km of groomed trails, the food was spectacular, the views were inspiring and the people were super friendly.

6. Favorite cross-training?

I like long adventure runs. Point to point, NOT out and back, please.

Jessie Diggins (r) with her boyfriend, Wade, during a trip to Winnipeg, Manitoba, this summer. (Courtesy photo)

7. Favorite non-athletic activity or pastime this summer?

Spending time with my boyfriend in Boston, and my family in Minnesota! There are a lot of pretty amazing people in my life, and I like being around them as often as I can.

8. Song that was your jam this summer?

“Handclap” by Fitz and the Tantrums got me through my own set of glacier skiing tantrums 🙂

9. All-time favorite race moment?

OH man. There are so many! Every relay I’ve ever been a part of is a great memory for me…even the times we really blew it 🙂 But it’s a tie between the moment I crossed the finish line and barreled right into Sophie, Sadie and Liz’s arms in Nove Mesto, and when Kikkan and I won the World Champs team sprint relay. Those were days when the whole team was jumping up and down!

10. First thing you pack in your bag when you leave for Europe?

Glitter. Aeropress coffee maker. Peanut butter/Almond butter and American Gum (I swear, it’s different. And very important!). But the first thing is always glitter for race days

11. Venue/event you’re most excited to visit this season?

I am really excited to see the new one in Ulricehamn, Sweden. It’ll be fun to see a new place!

12. Who will win the men’s and women’s World Cup titles this year?

Your guess is as good as mine!

13. Biggest sacrifice you feel you’ve made choosing this career path?

Being far away from the people I love in my life. I’m a cuddly, got-to-be-with-you-there-in-person kind of person, and it’s hard to be gone so much. Thank goodness for Skype, but it’s not the same when you really need a hug from home.

14. If you could change one thing about your sport, what would it be?

Have more World Cups in North America, and finally bring some back to the US! Our sport is growing and it would be incredible to bring all the exciting action back home to keep the next generation of skiers fired up.

15. What did you have for breakfast this morning?

Oatmeal with berries, nuts, yogurt and local honey made by my friends at home! Lucky me.

16. In 5 years, I’ll be ____?

Still racing the World Cups, of course!

17. In 50 years, I’ll be ____?

Embarrassing my grandkids by dressing up, glittering my cheeks and skiing the Slumberland American Birkie.

January 5, 2017
July 26: Fast and Female Power Hour at the Mall of America

(Press release)

Sunday July 26, join Winter Olympians Jessie Diggins, Kikkan Randall and Caitlin Gregg for an hour of fun activities and inspiration in the Mall of America! Pick your hour, either 1-2pm or 3-4pm and come meet your heroes and make new friends!

This event is free and hosted in the Mall of America, Bloomington, MN. To sign up online ahead of time to get a free t-shirt and more details, please visit: https://www.fastandfemale.com/programs/fast-and-female-power-hour-mall-of-america-mn/

In the Mall of America Rotunda from 5-6pm, after the Fast and Female events, Jessie will be hosting a talk about how to take that next step forward in racing. Salomon will present a talk on equipment and figuring out what’s right for you, so bring your questions! Open to skiers of all ages; boys, girls and their parents! Jessie will also be signing posters after the event.

July 15, 2015
Speed Camp, Fast and Female Engage Locals in Lake Placid

Speed Camp participants and organizers pose for a picture at the Olympic Jumping Complex in Lake Placid, N.Y. September 5.

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. – Nate Ball had fallen multiple times. His shorts were ripped and his legs were shaky. Despite the fact that it was Ball’s second time on rollerskis, he was ready to take on his next challenge – beat his pervious time of 30 seconds on the race course World Cup stage-winner Simi Hamilton had created for him.

Ball, a 10-year-old who skis and jumps for the New York Ski Education Foundation, was participating in the second-ever Speed Camp put on by the men of the U.S. Ski Team.

USST coach Jason Cork helps Andrew Scanio, 9, navigate a downhill. It was Scanio’s third time on rollerskis and first time on skate rollerskis.

The September 5 event took place at the Olympic Jumping Complex and was aimed at introducing young skiers to speed on rollerskis.

A brainchild of Andy Newell and Hamilton, Speed Camp was a male version to Chandra Crawford’s girls event, Fast and Female.

The roughly 20 participants at the Speed Camp filled a spectrum of ages, ranging from 9-year-olds to a older local coach aiming to increase his knowledge of rollerski technique.

“This is my second time on rollerskis. It’s good and hard,” Ball said. “The guys are nice.”

When asked what his favorite part of the day was, the 10-year-old responded with excitement saying, “The one time I did the downhill without falling!”

At the nearby Olympic Training Center a similar event for youngsters of the opposite gender was taking place.

Fast and Female at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, N.Y. September 5.

The U.S. Ski Team women in addition to the women of U.S. Biathlon were hosting a popular Fast and Female workshop.

Like the Speed Camp, Fast and Female is geared toward girls aged nine to 19. Unlike the Speed Camp, there was a lot of glitter involved.

In it’s ninth year, Fast and Female events have become wildly popular across the continent. This year alone, Annie Pokorny of the SMST2 team told FasterSkier that she has helped lead three of the events and has one more scheduled this fall.

At the Lake Placid gathering, girls were introduced to the U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Biathlon skiers who would be leading the event.

After the introduction in which skiers stating her favorite place to ski, the group headed to the center’s gym where they participated in rhythmic dancing, an obstacle course, and one-on-one instruction in skiing and shooting.

A Fast and Female participant applies glitter to Jessie Diggins face.

According to the organizers of the Lake Placid event, the goal of Fast and Female gatherings are to create an environment where girls and women are comfortable and excited to be active in sport.

A little inspiration from Olympians Jessie Diggins, Sophie Caldwell, Liz Stephen and Susan Dunklee doesn’t hurt.

Both Speed Camp and Fast and Female demonstrate a marked effort by the U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Biathlon to give back to the communities in which they train. Whether it’s learning how to slalom with Hamilton or dancing next to Caldwell, America’s top skiers are attempting to make a positive impact on the lives of the next generation of athletes.

If the big smiles of participants were any indication, it would appear that their efforts were working.

Lake Placid Fast and Female

Lake Placid Fast and Female

Lake Placid Fast and Female

Lake Placid Fast and Female

Lake Placid Fast and Female

Lake Placid Fast and Female

Lake Placid Fast and Female

Lake Placid Fast and Female

Lake Placid Fast and Female

Lake Placid Speed Camp

Lake Placid Speed Camp

Lake Placid Speed Camp

Lake Placid Speed Camp

Lake Placid Speed Camp

Lake Placid Speed Camp

Lake Placid Speed Camp

Lake Placid Speed Camp

Lake Placid Speed Camp

September 12, 2014
Post-Retirement, Crawford Hits the Books Hard, Gets into Calgary’s MBA Program

Fast and Female founder/president Chandra Crawford retired from competitive-nordic racing this spring after 14 years in the sport (and five more in biathlon). She was recently accepted into the University of Calgary’s business school. (Photo: Chandra Crawford/chandracrawford.com)

Chandra Crawford knows a thing or two about headspace, and as she smiled at the program director for the University of Calgary’s Executive MBA (Master of Business Administration) program as the they reviewed admission requirements, the director told her she’s never met anyone so excited to take the GMAT (Graduated Management Admission Test).

Born and raised in nearby Canmore, Alberta, Crawford, now 30, finished high school 14 years ago and catapulted into competitive nordic racing. Before that as a junior, she had been a biathlete for five years, but by age 22, she was known on the world scope as one of the most promising cross-country sprinters — a surprise gold medalist in the skate sprint at the 2006 Torino Olympics.

Crawford celebrating her gold medal in the freestyle sprint at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy.

That moment changed her life forever, defining her career and who she was as a skier.

Crawford put off education in pursuit of loftier goals in skiing — but after a gold medal, where does one go from there? She went on to win her first World Cup gold in Canmore in 2008 and repeated the feat two months later at a World Cup sprint in Lahti, Finland. She competed at two more Olympics in Vancouver in 2010 and most recently in Sochi, Russia.

In her blog, Crawford recalled her former teammates and Canada’s gold and silver medalists, Beckie Scott and Sara Renner, saying it would take “ten years to get good.” That kind of commitment is was kept Crawford onboard through the Sochi Games, after she opted to train apart from the national team last spring and spent much of last season playing catchup.

Gold medals six years ago weren’t enough to secure her international starts this past season without first proving herself, and Crawford went through the process just as any Canadian not on the World Cup Team would — by giving it all she had at trials. In January at the Canadian Olympic trials in Canmore, Crawford won the freestyle sprint to earn her trip to Sochi. She had previously raced two World Cup sprints in December in Davos, Switzerland, and Asiago, Italy, placing 43rd and 45th, respectively.

Back on the World Cup in February in Toblach, Italy, she finished 34th in the freestyle sprint, just shy of the top 30 needed to make the sprint rounds. Crawford went on to race one event at the Olympics — the skate sprint — where she placed 44th.

“Looking back on it now, it seems like things never really came around physically,” she said on the phone from Canmore in late April. “How much I had burned out from my tough years — I didn’t really have the time to recover from it.”

Two seasons ago in February 2013, Crawford had put racing on hold after the pre-Olympic World Cup in Sochi — flying home to Canmore to recover before her last season-long Olympic push. She didn’t race again that 2012/2013 season, and resumed training last spring as a member of the newly formed Team Ninja, a band of four independent female racers in Canmore.

Crawford in what would be the final race of her career, the Sochi Olympics freestyle sprint qualifier, in which she placed 44th. (Photo: Fischer/Nordic Focus)

While she had always hoped for a comeback story, it didn’t come to fruition. Her energy levels went through highs and lows, something she attributed to thyroid and iron issues, which she explained as a direct result of overtraining.

“It’s not bad luck, it’s just what happens,” she said of her underactive thyroid, which doctors discovered last fall. “Your endocrine system just gets blown out.

“The energy was different at different points throughout the normal training and racing year, but I never really got going fast,” she explained. “I was always working hard, but I was never really [skiing] hard. I was maximizing other aspects, like am I doing everything I can technically? … I always came out that I’m going 10 out of 10 on the process. This normally works.”

Come spring, she was about ready to be finished altogether.

“I was on the fence if I would continue through Sochi or not,” Crawford said. “I redefined success into my own terms. That’s what enabled me to carry on and ski through Sochi. It was a great feeling, like the feeling you get from the last rep and last international race of a career — everything leading up to it was my last taper or my last World Cup…”

Crawford was optimistic at the Olympics, and she enjoyed what turned out to be the final race of her career while back with the national team.

“This year was amazing,” she said. “The less I needed from the team, the more I enjoyed it.”

“It was a great feeling, like the feeling you get from the last rep and last international race of a career — everything leading up to it was my last taper or my last World Cup…” — Chandra Crawford, on ending her racing career with the Sochi Olympics

Rosanna (l) and Chandra Crawford on one of their bike outings during the Gold Medal Plates trip last month in Provence, France. (Photo: Rosanna Crawford)

Crawford spent the rest of the Olympics cheering on her younger sister, Rosanna, a Canadian biathlete in her second Olympics. There, Rosanna posted her Olympic best of 25th in the 7.5-kilometre sprint.

“Chandra has been one of the major factors in my career, watching her get her gold medal when I was 18 really helped motivate me to strive for the Olympics,” Rosanna, 25, wrote in an email. “It was always a dream of mine to go but once I saw her go and win it made me realize that if she can then I could too! She has always been my biggest fan and always rooting for me.”

The sisters recently spent two weeks wining, dining and biking in Provence, France, with Gold Medal Plates (GMP). The foundation auctions exotic destinations as a fundraiser for Own The Podium and to support “Canadian Excellence in cuisine, wine, the arts and athletic achievement,” according to its website. This marked the Crawford sisters’ second-straight trip overseas with GMP; last year they visited Tuscany, Italy. Chandra was on year No. 6 with the program.

“I feel so lucky to have such an awesome sister that’s taught me it’s ok to be strong and powerful and to follow your dreams,” Rosanna added. “Her work with Fast and Female has also motivated me to be a good role model and know that there are always people looking up to you.”

Nearly nine years ago, Crawford founded Fast and Female, a series of sports-based events designed to empower females ages 9 to 19, with the help of her teammates on the Canadian National Team in 2005. The concept took off and spread throughout the nation by 2007, at which point the program became a registered-nonprofit corporation with a board of directors. Crawford became president, overseeing the nonprofit’s mission and vision while focusing on her job as an athlete — which Fast and Female championed front and center.

It wasn’t long before the series caught on the U.S. and other countries overseas. According to Crawford, Fast and Female had 105 ambassadors in 24 sports as of April, and was on track for a record-smashing 3,000 participants this year.

“Fast and Female really took itself internationally,” she said, pointing out events in Sweden and Norway this past winter, and a presence in Australia. “We’re running with a lot of volunteer-based energy. We’re a really small team based here in Canada with how big we are.”

Looking forward, she’s like to make the series “more profound,” extending beyond sport experience to working together to “create solutions in the environment,” she said. “I just can’t say enough about the American program and how I learned from everything Kikkan [Randall] and [U.S. women’s coach] Matt Whitcomb and the American team create.”

Chandra Crawford during a Fast and Female event in 2009.

Fast and Female celebrates its nine-year anniversary in November. While Crawford will remain president/founder, she’s going to spend the next two years learning how to be a better business leader and generate more revenue for her program moving forward.

That’s right, Crawford go into Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business, scoring a 540 on the GMAT “with about 25 hours studying math and by being a positive game-day performer,” she wrote in an email.

“It was so fun to wake up on test day with the exact feeling of a race morning: ‘Today is the day I get to do the thing I prepared for!’ she recalled. “ ‘Right on!’ ”

In addition to a score of at least 500, she needed 10 years of work experience to get in (without a university degree). Everything she learned with Fast and Female — from brand marketing to relationships — qualified, she explained.

“It’s going to be extremely challenging to do two years of business school, but I’m ready to get growing way out of my comfort zone and am at a great time in my life to invest in my skills through education,” she added.

“It was so fun to wake up on test day with the exact feeling of a race morning: ‘Today is the day I get to do the thing I prepared for! Right on!’ ”

Her goals with the program include becoming a better leader for Fast and Female and a more-effective motivational speaker for business groups, all while staying open to possibilities “because at least half of the amazing things in anyone’s life could not have been predicted,” she said.

“It’s great to see Chandra so excited about this next phase of her life,” her father, Glen Crawford, wrote in an email. “I think I can speak for both Louise & myself when I say, as a parent, our biggest priority was giving our 3 children the opportunity to experience many things. We started doing that really early on. I think it was a good move because it seems that with kids, by the age of about 5 or 6, they already know what they like and what they don’t like.”

The key was choosing activities they had fun with at an earlier age.

“The other thing that was key was raising our kids in Canmore,” Glen added. “I think Chandra & Rosanna are testament to the fact that if you build facilities, you will train Olympians. Without the ’88 Olympics and the Canmore Nordic Centre, I’m sure our girls would have still gone on to do great things, but it probably wouldn’t have been Nordic ski racing.”

The owner of his own media-production business, Glen made the following video for Chandra’s retirement party last month, which highlights some of the great moments he shared with her as a cameraman at many of her races.

June 19, 2014

Top Skiers Make Predictions for the Birkie

Matt Liebsch (Team Strong Heart/Team Birkie) skiing to the finish. Photo: Flying Point Road. — Matt Liebsch (Team Strong Heart/Team Birkie) skiing to the finish in 2011. Photo: Flying Point Road.

It’s difficult to pigeon-hole cross country ski racers into making predictions.

Of those asked, University of Vermont standout Scott Patterson was the most forthcoming about his prediction for the outcome of the 50-kilometer 41^st American Birkebeiner this weekend, one of the premier ski marathons in North America and part of the Worldloppet series. He admitted that while he was rooting for his sister, Caitlin Patterson of the Craftsbury Green Racing Project (CGRP), he thought that the other Caitlin – defending champ Caitlin Gregg of Team Gregg – was the favorite.

“Caitlin Gregg has shown she is above the field in domestic skate races this year. With that, and intimate knowledge of the course, she will be hard to beat,” he wrote in an email.

“Hopefully my sister will surprise me,” he added.

But then again, it was easier for Scott Patterson to make predictions, since he won’t be racing, as the collegiate schedule conflicts with the Birkebeiner. Plus, as a college skier, “the large prize money appeal is moot since I can’t accept it. Instead I will test out my 50 k skills later on at [SuperTour Finals] in Anchorage.”

For her part, Gregg was reluctant to say.

“I have no idea how the race will unfold until it does,” she wrote in an email. “I will say I am excited to ski on the Birkie trails again, though,” she added, including a smiley emoticon in her email.

Though Scott Patterson and Gregg seemed to agree on a favorite in the women’s race, there was no such agreement on the men’s race: Patterson picked Sun Valley’s Matt Gelso or Team Homegrown’s Sylvan Ellefson for a strong showing, giving Ellefson the edge if it comes to a sprint.

For what it’s worth, Ellefson, fresh from the Battle Creek SuperTour, would have liked to agree, but couldn’t quite.

“I would like to bet on myself for the win, but seeing as my best finish is 10^th, my goal for the Birkie is only to better that result,” he wrote in an email. “It is rumored that many Europeans will also be joining us which always keeps the excitement factor high in the elite wave. I know the Europeans coming over are quite strong, but I’ll put my money on an American to win.”

It is more than just rumors suggesting that some strong Europeans will be in the field. Former World Champion Martin Koukal of the Czech Republic will be there, as will Italy’s Fabio Santos, among others.

Gregg, on the other hand, made it clear that she was playing favorites.

The Birkie is not only about the prize money. Photo: Darlene Prois

“All I can say is that I hope Matt Liebsch has an awesome race! I will always pick Matt to win!”

Liebsch returned the favor and picked Gregg for the win, though he said that on the men’s side it was a toss-up of “any one of about 10 dudes,” adding that he liked his own chances. Gelso, in an email, largely agreed with Liebsch, but added that there were “15 guys that have a legitimate shot for the win, and another 10 who have an outside shot.”

“But,” he added, “someone is going to win and I will be doing my best to be that someone.”

No matter the predictions, the excitement among the racers is palpable.

“I am really looking forward to this giant ‘family reunion’ of Cross Country Skiing,” Gregg said.

Indeed, the Birkie is the premier loppet in North America, with over 13,000 skiers competing in the different events. And, thanks to a winner’s purse of $7,500 and cash prizes down to $1,000 for sixth place in the marquee event, the 50 k skate, some of the world’s top marathon skiers will be in the mix.

Fast and Female

On Sunday following the race, Gregg will be hosting a Fast and Female event in Hayward.

“I am so excited about the Fast and Female Event on Sunday!” Gregg wrote in an email. “We are going to have an awesome turnout! Hopefully 70+ gals!!! I think the best part about Fast and Female is that no matter how tired or sore you are, it all seems to fade away when you start seeing so many little smiling faces!”

When asked if she thought that any of the youngsters might beat her in a sprint after her big race the day before, she said that “Birkie or no Birkie, I bet there are a few speed demons out there who could get me in a sprint.”

Men’s Top 20 Bibs

1	Sergio Bonaldi	Milano, ITA
2	Fabio Santus	Milano, ITL
3	Alan Martinelli	Valdidentro So, ITA
4	Florian Kostner	Dobbiaco, ITA
5	Martin Koukal	Liberec, CZE
6	Benoit Chauvet	Aviernoz, FRA
7	Patrick Johnson	Anchorage, AK USA
8	Matthew Liebsch	Orono, MN USA
9	Marco Muehlematter	Boenigen, SUI
10	Bryan Cook	Carbondale, WI USA
11	Tom Reichelt	Oberwiesenthal, GER
12	Mathias Inniger	Adelboden, SUI
13	Christophe Perrillat	In, FRA
14	Manuel Hirner	Saalbach Hinterglemm, AUT
15	Sylvan Ellefson	Vail, CO USA
16	Michael Sinnott	Sun Valley, ID USA
17	Jussi Simula	Jyvaskyla, FIN
18	Eric Packer	Anchorage, AK USA
19	Patrick O’Brien	Craftsbury Common, VT USA
20	Christopher Hamilton	Canmore, AB CAN

Women’s Top 20 Bibs

501	Caitlin Gregg	Minneapolis, MN USA
503	Caitlin Patterson	Craftsbury Common, VT USA
504	Antonella Confortola Wyatt	Zianodifiemme, ITA
506	Kate Fitzgerald	Anchorage, AK USA
507	Stephanie Santer	Dobbiaco, ITA
508	Laurel Clare Egan	Craftsbury, VT USA
509	Elizabeth Guiney	Park City, UT USA
510	Jordyn Ross	Lakeville, MN USA
511	Chelsea Holmes	Ketchum, ID USA
512	Zoe Roy	Canmore, AB CAN
513	Nicolette Reker	Little Canada, MN USA
514	Brandy Stewart	Bozeman, MT USA
515	Sarah Murphy	Canmore, AB CAN
516	Tammy Jacques	Steamboat Springs, CO USA
517	Rosie Brennan	Park City, UT USA
518	Sini Alusniemi	Jyvaskyla, N/ FIN
519	Jan Guenther	Mound, MN USA
520	Mary Beth Tuttle	Pine Springs, MN USA
521	Megan Ping	Winona, MN USA
522	Alexandra Jospe	Newton, MA USA

February 20, 2014

Fast and Female at the American Birkebiner with Caitlin Gregg

Calling All GIRLS

To This Birkie Event – Just for YOU!

Join Fast & Female and Caitlin Gregg--2010 Winter Olympian and two-time Birkie Champion–for an afternoon of athletic inspiration and activities for girls ages 9 – 19. “SPREAD THE LOVE: Get as many girls hooked on a healthy and active lifestyle as possible!” is the mantra of the Fast & Female program nationwide. Now, Fast & Female will make its first-ever appearance at the American Birkebeiner! This special girls-only event will be held at the same time and location as the Birkie On-Snow Ski Demo:

SUNDAY
February 23, 2014
Birkie “OO” Trailhead

CLICK HERE
For Details and to Register

About Fast & Female

Fast and Female supports, motivates, inspires, and empowers girls ages 9 to 19 to stick to sports and the healthy lifestyle by exposing them to innovative programming led by world-class female athletes who act as ambassadors and positive role models.

Fun Outdoor Activities AND Great Role Models? You Got It!

Your Fast & Female Ambassador for the day will be none other than Caitlin Gregg, a 2010 winter Olympian and two-time Birkie Champion. She will be assisted by Brooke Adams, College of St. Scholastica XC ski team racer, and Nikki Reker, who just one the Pre-Birkie on February 8.

Your Fast & Female Event Schedule:

11:00 – 11:10 : Check-in
11:10 – 11:35 : Dream Big segment (goal-setting exercise)
11:35 – 12:15 : Group Ski
12:15 – 12:50 : Lunch + Inspirational talk during the lunch
12:50 – 1:00 : Autographs, conclusion, participant departure.

How to Register + What You Get!

The cost for this event is $15 if you register online by Saturday at 10:00 pm. Or, you can sign up right at the event for just $20. Lunch is included in the registration fee. Plus, each girl will receive a Fast & Female buff! Fast & Female headbands and toques will be available for purchase.

CLICK HERE!
For Details and to Register!

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February 12, 2014
Fast and Female for Boys: USST Hosts Speed Camp in Park City

A huge group of happy campers at Fast and Female’s Champ Camp at the USSA Center of Excellence on Oct. 6 in Park City, Utah. (Photo: Tom Kelly/USSA Nordic)

In 2005, Fast and Female sprung to life as the brainchild of Chandra Crawford and the Canadian women’s cross-country ski team. The idea: get more girls skiing and help them build confidence in the process. The slogan: Empowerment through sport.

Within two years, Fast and Female events – which included days filled with skiing, yoga and “good eats,” according to the organization’s website – had become so big the nonprofit established a board of directors and continued to expand its reach through regional leaders across Canada. With the help of the U.S. women’s nordic team, movement trickled down into the states and is now a household brand among North American female skiers ages 9-19.

Andy Newell (l) shows junior boys how to ski fast and safe during the first Speed Camp on Oct. 6 at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah. (Photo: Jason Cork/USST)

That got the men’s U.S. Ski Team (USST), specifically Andy Newell and Simi Hamilton, thinking: how can we replicate Fast and Female’s success and provide a similar service for young males?

In an email, Newell explained the light bulb came on while training in New Zealand; they’d call it Speed Camp. His goal was to create a new type of clinic that would be exciting for junior boys and help the USST elevate the sport.

“Speed Camp is different than other traditional clinics because it’s specifically designed teach the kids how to move fast and improve their overall athleticism, which will translate over to skiing more comfortably at high speeds,” Newell wrote.

Most importantly, pushing those limits of speed was fun so the kids would likely find it more enjoyable than most practices, explained Newell, one of the world’s top-ranked sprinters.

With the help of the USST and assistant coach Jason Cork, Newell and Hamilton picked a time and place for their inaugural Speed Camp. On Sunday, the same day Fast and Female attracted some local 140 girls to Park City, Utah, the USST hosted its first Speed Camp at Soldier Hollow in nearby Midway with about 15 boys and five instructors (Newell, Hamilton, Cork, Skyler Davis, and Nick Hendrickson) participating.

USST members lead the warmup at Speed Camp on Sunday in Midway, Utah. (Photo: Jason Cork/USST)

Newell explained the camp was as “great success” thanks to local coaches that helped spread the word and allowed them to use the paved rollerski track at Soldier Hollow.

“The goal of Speed Camp is definitely to focus on quality and make sure we have one on one interaction with each young skier,” he wrote. “It was a good instructor-to-athletes ratio so that we could really focus on our goals of going fast.”

While the girls attended seminars Sunday from 1-5 p.m., exploring fitness stations, dancing or doing yoga, and making their own tutus, what exactly did the boys do? For a couple hours, World Cup skiers Newell and Hamilton led a dynamic warmup then some fun on rollerskis, with an emphasis on safety, and finished up with a Question and Answer session.

The junior boys practiced high-speed skating and learned techniques for fast cornering, sprint finishes, transition skiing, tucking, drafting, and slingshotting past others, “all types of fun racing techniques they might not be able to learn at their typical ski practice,” Newell explained.

Simi Hamilton (l) leads junior boys in a tuck at the inaugural U.S. Ski Team Speed Camp at Soldier Hollow. (Photo: Jason Cork/USST)

“Distance racing, sprinting, all types of XC skiing require athletes to push high speeds at one point or another and sometimes the best way to learn some if these techniques is from the World Cup skiers themselves,” he wrote.

In an email, Hamilton wrote they couldn’t have asked for better weather or a more enthused group.

“It’s always fun to do things like this with some of your teammates, and I felt like we all contributed a diverse array of technical knowledge,” Hamilton wrote. “I was very impressed to see how much the boys improved throughout each of the drills, and it looked like they were having a great time … especially during some of the friendly head-to-head races we had set up.”

Many might wonder when and where the next Speed Camp will be. With the World Cup season kicking off next month, there won’t be anymore this year with Newell and Hamilton, but they’re focused on continuing it.

The idea is to complement Fast and Female, Hamilton explained. “Give the boys an opportunity to do something fun and valuable!” He hopes they’ll be able to watch it evolve into a program of similar caliber.

“We really admire how that program has grown and we’ve seen firsthand how the hard work from the women on our team and other female athletes throughout North America has been able to shape the lives of young people in great communities,” Hamilton wrote. “I think we were all pretty psyched about how [Speed Camp] turned out and are super amped to continue this momentum for another Speed Camp next year and further into the future.”

Some fast, all-male fun on rollerskis at the U.S. Ski Team Speed Camp in Soldier Hollow on Sunday. (Photo: Jason Cork/USST)

October 8, 2013
Canadian Nationals: Much More than Cross Country

Female ski jumpers in action on Friday at 2013 Canadian Nationals in Whistler, B.C. (Photo: Jim Hegan)

WHISTLER, B.C. – Friday was an official-training day for the cross-country athletes, but the Sea to Sky Nordic Festival isn’t all about cross country. While biathlon wrapped up earlier, ski jumping and nordic combined had their first competitions on Friday. Fast and Female hosted an event, and there were lectures on coaching female athletes.

Our cross-country coverage has focused on the open categories, which is just a small part of the event. The vast majority are Canadians, with 696 athletes eligible for national titles in four age groups, CCUNC (university students), and two para-nordic categories.

The U.S. is well represented with 25 athletes. Norway has seven athletes, largely representing U.S. colleges. Switzerland and Slovakia each have two athletes. Australia, Belarus, the Czech Republic, Spain, France, Japan, the Netherlands, and Peru have one athlete each.

Biathlon had 175 competitors for four competition days, ending March 20^th, with about 40 athletes from the U.S.

Female Nordic Combined skiers starting Friday’s 5 k at 2013 Canadian Nationals in Whistler, B.C. (Photo: Jim Hegan)

With the addition of female ski jumpers to the 2014 Sochi Olympics, it is no surprise to see that a significant number of the competitors are female (12 of 40 competitors on Friday). The new frontier is female nordic-combined competitors.

There were seven women who went on to complete the 5k skiing portion. Jumping and nordic-combined results are posted here. There are about equal numbers of Canadian and U.S. athletes.

Fast and Female held an event at the race venue on Friday morning. FasterSkier’s representative was not able to attend, being neither fast nor female, but a lot of female athletes, both young and role models, appeared to be having fun.

The CCC Women’s Committee held a coaching session with sport’s psychologist Sharleen Hoar and National Team women’s coach Eric DeNys titled, ‘Maximizing the Potential in your Female Athlete’.

A Conversation with Champions featured Olympic Champion rower Marnie McBean and World Champion mountain biker Catherine Pendrel. Pendrel has been doing cross-country ski races as part of her training the last few winters.

Official training for cross country was also on the program with the stadium and intersection controls set up. A few hundred skiers took advantage of the opportunity to ski the courses and get familiar with the stadium setup, starting at -2 degrees Celsius and warming up to 11 Celsius by mid-afternoon.

March 30, 2013
The Kikkan Effect

Kikkan Randall at the World Cup Finals in Falun, Sweden this winter.

It is saying nothing new to point out that Kikkan Randall becoming the World Cup Sprint Champion last season was a breakthrough for U.S. skiing. The enormity of the moment in March when an American woman was handed the crystal globe has been well documented since the conclusion of the 2012 season. Each photo that has surfaced online this summer of Randall, her trophy and a new group of wide-eyed fans is a reminder of how much her achievement means to members of the ski community across the country.

In Randall’s own career, the World Cup overall sprint title is undoubtedly a significant milestone. Flashy results at major championships may be yet to come, but at the age of 29 she finally reached the step on the podium she’s wanted to climb from a very young age. In hindsight, it would be convenient to look back at her intermediate accomplishments on the way to global domination and say that a crystal globe was a guarantee. But this would be inaccurate — like any athlete, Randall needed to achieve the little goals first to believe the bigger one was attainable. That confidence, she says, has had more than a casual bearing on her career trajectory.

“Early on it was small things like winning a national championship (2004), getting top-tens at World Juniors (2000 and 2001), but at that point being the best skier in the world still seemed pretty far away,” Randall said in a recent interview.

“I think it was in 2006 when I got my top-ten at the Olympics and then fifth in a World Cup at the end of that season, and next getting a win, next getting a World Championships medal (2009) — these things just kept building and building, and once I got on the World Cup podium (2007) that’s when it really started to feel possible.

“This past season, the consistency, the level I was able to reach every weekend and be in contention for the sprint title and a top-five overall — now I’m feeling really confident that I’ve done the right things to be on track for the rest of my goals.”

What was once a far-off possibility has now been confidently checked off the list. Season-long consistency was a big item, but Randall has plenty of goals left yet to accomplish before she retires.

“I think when I’m looking back on my career, these overall accomplishments, the sprint globe, top-five overall — and I hope to continue to improve on that, I’d love to be fighting for the overall title in a couple of years — but to be at the top of those season-long rankings and still posting top results at championships, that proves to me you’ve made it to the best,” she said.

“At World Championships or the Olympics, that can be one race, one day, fluke conditions. I think the people who are fastest and most prepared are the ones who win most of the time, but occasionally there are flukes in there. I’m definitely aiming to win a medal in Sochi, but I learned all too well in Oslo that things can change, and when you get one shot you just never know.”

Randall with the crystal globe.

The high point of Randall’s career so far has effectively demolished the notion that being an American-born skier is a barrier to world-class success. In 2012, Randall reset the conversation and established a new normal for the next generation of skiers in the U.S., a fact she is acutely aware of.

“Kind of like when Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile, everyone thought it was impossible,” she said. “Then once he did it people went, ‘Huh. Possible.’ More people started doing it immediately.

“The same is true for [American skiers]. It took a while to break through, but now that everyone can see it’s possible to win a World Cup, win World Championship medals, be top-ten at the Olympics, podium in team sprints, all that kind of stuff — they know that if they work hard, it’s totally possible.”

The result of this knowledge is that Randall’s teammates are improving, and have begun climbing podium steps of their own. A lot of hard, smart, independent work has gone into each individual result that the U.S. women posted last season, but the parallel timing of the team improvement with Randall’s individual accomplishments is too remarkable to ignore.

Look back to the 2010-2011 season: the U.S. women amassed 27 individual top-30s (23 of them Randall’s) and finished the year tenth in the FIS Nation’s Cup rankings.

One year later those numbers jumped to 72 individual top-30s, excluding the Tour de Ski, and the American women ended sixth in the 2012 Nation’s Cup. As Liz Stephen pointed out in April, “everybody had a result that was a best-ever at some point [last] season.”

The remarkable thing about the team’s collective improvement is that it came so suddenly after its very formation. The U.S. Ski Team officially created a women’s team in 2011, adding three rookie women to its roster and making Matt Whitcomb its dedicated coach.

When Randall first began competing internationally, however, she was essentially a one-woman team. In training she was often alone, and on the World Cup she would sit out relays and watch the group dynamics on other teams, wishing she had something like it at home.

“Many times I’d be out training with [APU head coach] Erik Flora going, ‘Man, I enjoy training with you, but I wish I had some other girls around to push me,’” Randall said.

At the time, there weren’t many female athletes in the U.S. who could challenge her in a workout. But somewhere between 2007 and 2012, things have changed. In Anchorage, Randall and Flora built a team at APU that now includes several women who can push Randall in the off-season. On the USST, the nation-wide depth of women’s talent reached a point last spring at which a female squad and dedicated coach became a necessary restructuring.

On a less tangible level, Randall says the USST has truly begun acting like a coherent team in the last few years. Two winters ago, there was a moment where she saw clearly that something clicked with her teammates.

“We decided to start getting together before a race all wearing the same team uniform and going out and doing our pre-race workouts together,” she said. “Before that we’d kind of just done our own thing. We just decided ‘Hey, this might be a good thing.’ So we started doing it, and we enjoyed it, and it was a great way to get ready for the race, and people started to notice that we were doing it together.”

Before there was The Team Behaving Like A Team, there were simply A Lot of People Trying to Be Like Kikkan. Now that Randall’s results have allowed her to raise her own expectations, those around her have internalized her success and started on the path to repeating it at a more rapid rate.

Before departing for Europe for her first World Cup season with the USST last year, APU skier Sadie Bjornsen talked about the benefits of being able to observe and train with Randall on a regular basis.

“[Her confidence] has worn off on us. At camps she’ll be talking to those Swedish girls, and all of a sudden we’re talking to them too. It’s awesome getting to know these athletes through her, and her confidence rubs off on us. It’s pretty sweet,” she said.

Comments like those, even now, catch Randall a little off guard. “I’m just doing what I do, just focusing on improving and trying to encourage people around me, but I guess you never realize how much you’re being watched and what people are picking up from just your actions,” she said.

Sadie Bjornsen (L) and Kikkan Randall (R) await the first-ever U.S. Team Sprint podium appearence

In December, Bjornsen stood on her first World Cup podium with Randall for their team sprint performance in Dusseldorf. Later that season, the U.S. women were fifth in the 4×5 k relay in Nove Mesto — without Randall, who happened to be sick that day. Jessie Diggins notched her first podium, too, and in her first winter on the World Cup worked her way into the Red Group in just half a season.

“That is what happens when you work together,” said USST women’s coach Matt Whitcomb in Falun, Sweden, as the season wound down at World Cup Finals.

“That’s a team right there.”

It is safe to say, then, that Randall’s personal athletic trajectory and the parallel momentum of her team are at least two things that are correlated with each other. It is difficult to know which is cause and which is effect; training partners have helped Randall’s skiing while her APU and USST teammates have undoubtedly benefited from training with the top sprinter in the world.

“It’s about the dynamic, the training environment that’s been created,” Flora said. “It works both ways. You take the NAWTA group from this summer — Chandra, Jessie, Holly, Saarinen, etc. — and you put Kikkan in the mix, the group benefits from having her push in workouts and her gung-ho approach, but there’s return, too. The good training environment she creates, she benefits from. All of a sudden you have these other accomplished ladies pushing her as well.”

NAWTA at work on Eagle Glacier. Photo: Matt Whitcomb/USST.

Randall’s push for group training has crossed national boundaries, expanding well beyond her own team and into Norway, Sweden, Canada and Finland. Four summers ago Randall took it upon herself to go to Norway and learn how the Norwegian approach to training separated their results from hers. As she found out, it wasn’t much. But she also learned that training with women in other countries could be valuable simply for the challenge it brought to workouts and for the real-time confirmation that her own training was headed in the right direction.

“What Kikkan was pushing [with collaborative training] was because of circumstance, being away from other top World Cup skiers,” Flora said. “It’s a new style of thinking; you can go out and find a training group that can help build your performances. Those [geographic] barriers are disappearing.”

Since that first trip to Norway, Randall has continued to reach out to athletes from other countries to create collaborative training opportunities. She’s a better skier now, which makes her a more sought-after training partner. The North American Women’s Training Alliance (NAWTA) camp that first convened two years ago on Eagle Glacier has become multi-national with the inclusion this winter of Finland’s Aino-Kaisa Saarinen. The entire U.S. women’s team was invited to Sweden for two weeks of training with the Swedish national team this summer.

“She’s become a much more valuable training partner now that she’s the top sprinter in the world,” Flora said. “When she went to Sweden this year it was a big deal for them to have her there… The Swedish coaches are watching her now to see what she’s doing. Everybody leaves with more confidence.”

That isn’t just talk from a proud coach. Charlotte Kalla (SWE), who finished last season one place ahead of Randall in overall World Cup standings, remarked on the tangible energy she noticed on the U.S. team during their joint camp.

“I had a really good time with the American women in Sälen and Torsby” she wrote in an email. “It was so much more than just excellent training sessions. We had a lot of fun between the exercises. There is so much energy around the girls from America and you can almost touch the feeling of love for their sport. We [will] have to fight hard this winter if we want to cross the finish line ahead of them, that’s for sure!”

Kikkan Randall with North Eugene High School skiers at a Fast and Female event in Bend this spring. Photo: Nancy Unruh.

The Kikkan Effect extends beyond Randall’s elite-level teammates and competitors. Thanks to Randall’s and her teammates’ involvement with Fast and Female, the positivity has trickled down through the competitive levels and directly reached hundreds of junior girls, as well. The organization that Chandra Crawford began in Canada to empower young women through athletic achievement has spread all over North America since its founding in 2005. Nearly every women’s training camp, it seems, now has a Fast and Female event organized around it. Randall’s presence and leadership at events, Flora says, has a powerful effect on the girls in attendance.

“Her presence is like magic; you can watch it,” Flora said. “Fast and Female is a good example. You take a whole bunch of girls on skis and she jumps in there, and pretty soon they’re all doing sprints, competing head-to-head, and again you see the confidence. You see the girls walk away from the event and the light bulb’s gone off: ‘I can do this. She did and she’s here, so I can do this, too.’

“Five, ten years from now we’re going to have a flood of elite women skiing thanks to Fast and Female… With our juniors you can see the same thing. They see the road is there, that Kikkan has been able to do it. Rather than wondering if it’s possible, they can see that it is.”

The model pathway that Randall has established will continue long past the end of her own career; in a way, it exists independently of what happens next for the Alaskan. Her recent injury and surgery present a significant hurdle for Randall to overcome in the immediate future. She’s managed to improve in some way almost every season since she began, and it will be a new experience for her to put short-term goals on hold in recovery.

“It’s definitely a change for me,” Randall said. “I have all the excitement of what happened last season and want to just jump right back in. I was training pretty hard through mid-August so it’s been hard to take a step back. But I’m just trying to make sure I’m patient enough so I don’t have to carry this into the next couple of years.”

This is where the Kikkan Effect comes full-circle. Randall will be racing her way back into shape for the first part of the season, but as the U.S. women proved last winter, they’re capable of holding their own.

“The girls have trained better than I’ve ever seen them train. With the preparation and then the confidence from last season — I mean, I think they’re capable of improving on their best results from last season,” Randall said. “I’m excited. It takes some pressure off me knowing that my teammates will continue to come through with some big results and keep the momentum going.

November 2, 2012
Summer Camp Starts With Fresh Weather

As we head into our camp season we are grateful for our beautiful valley and humbled by the dynamic nature of recent summer weather systems. Today we watched the radar closely and managed to have two safe and quality sessions on roller skis. Yesterday the kids got to escape the heat of the valley as they ascended to the Green Mt Ridge to experience elevational cooling and a strong breeze.

Afternoon session for Fast and Female gals: four miles gradual uphill. First two miles on pavement and the finish on smooth dirt. Cool temps and uplifting clouds.

A few of the boys stepped it up to a 15km ski. Dylan Grald led the boys over a cool loop: pavement, dirt, pavement, dirt. Here is Ford Sayre skier, Adam Glueck, striding over the Mad River.

Looking down over Phen Basin from Castlerock.

Engulfed by the grass and experience: Mad River Glen.

Very proud of our local skiers: Noah Eckstein, Elliot Ketchel, Maddy Strasser and Anneka Williams. Noah and Elliot are learning amazing orienteering skills of their local hills — combining winter and summer travels and learning a deep sense of place.

Heading down Antelope.

More travels to come. Don’t forget the APP GAP CHALLENGE. July 3rd. Cash Prize for setting new course record — ice cream party and awards for all!!

June 25, 2012
The Bounty of Bend

What do skiing, mountain biking, sunburns, snowstorms, rainbows and lots of roundabouts all have in common? They can all be found in Bend, Oregon in the month of May.
For the first time in recent memory, the US Biathlon team sent a group of athletes to Bend for an early summer on-snow training camp. We left […]

May 25, 2012
Fast and Female Meets Road Biking in Gatineau

Fast and Female Partners with Canadian Cycling Association, Fédération Québécoise des Sports Cyclistes & Grand Prix Cycliste Gatineau to Inspire Girls on Bikes

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

GATINEAU, QC (April 20, 2012) — Fast and Female is branching out to run the first-ever road cycling event on May 20, 2012. In exactly one month, girls ages 9-19 who are interested in road racing and cycling in general will join Fast and Female ambassadors for a morning of inspiration, fun and activity on two wheels.

Piggy-backed with the Gatineau Grand Prix, the Fast and Female Road Cycling event will run from 9 a.m. to noon and will include a group ride, inspirational talks with ambassadors, dancing and stretching, and finish off with autograph signing. Activities will kick off at the Centre La Génération at 35 Rue Davies in Gatineau.

Ambassadors for this event include National Cycling Team’s Denise Ramsden, Leah Kirchmann, Joëlle Numainville, and Leah Guloien.

“We hope that this event will help young girls to see how much fun riding a bike can be and inspire them to stay in sport,” said Ramsden. “This event is a great opportunity for us to give back to a sport that has given us so much.”

The Gatineau Grand Prix is in its third year as a UCI event. Started as a replacement for cancelled races, the race has grown in participation every year and spawned many other events surrounding the races.

For this Olympic year, the GP Cycliste Gatineau Hydro-Québec and the Chrono Gatineau – the only two races sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale in Canada – will take place on May 18 to 21 and provide one of the last chances to earn points to qualify for the Games. Thus, these two races will be critically important to the world of women’s cycling. Which is why we made the route longer and tougher, in an effort to make it closer to the one in London. More information on the event is available at www.grandprixcyclistegatineau.com.

Kirchmann of Winnipeg, MB, came in fourth in last year’s Grand Prix and is hoping to inspire the girls to pursue their own dreams. “I had a lot of opportunities growing up so I want to try and give other girls the chances I had to lead an active lifestyle and be involved in sport.”

Guloien of Port Moody, BC, comes from a running and rowing background and hopes to share her love of sport with others. “Sport has always been a positive and healthy influence, helping me keep a balance with school and other activities.”

Young female cyclists of all abilities are invited to attend the event with their own road or mountain bikes.

“The Canadian Cycling Association is happy to be supporting this activity which encourages physical activity and healthy habits amongst female youth,” said Mathieu Boucher, Director, Development for Canada’s governing body in cycling. “We are aware that in addition to offering outstanding performances, our Canadian athletes are a great source of inspiration and motivation for girls,” he added.

This event will cost $20 and will include a snack, a technical Fast and Female t-shirt by Karbon ($40 value) and a Fast and Female Buff (multifunctional headwear valued at $23). Participants can learn more by visiting www.FastandFemale.com and sign up at http://ffmay20gatineau.eventbrite.com/. Online registration will close on May 19 at noon. On-site registration will be possible at a fee of $25.

Fast and Female would like to thank all event partners including the Gatineau Grand Prix, the Canadian Cycling Association, the Fédération Québecoise des Sports Cyclistes, as well as Fast and Female’s national partners Best Buy Canada, Clarins Canada, Cold-FX, Buff Canada, Sportchek, Globo Shoes, Karbon, Champion System, Lululemon Athletica, LUNA Bars, LIT Glitter, SAUCE Headwear.

ABOUT FAST AND FEMALE

Fast and Female is a not-for-profit society started in 2005 by Chandra Crawford, the 2006 Olympic gold medalist in cross-country skiing. The organization’s mission is to support, motivate, inspire, and empower girls to stick to sports and the healthy lifestyle. Fast and Female fulfills its mission of “Empowerment Through Sport” by hosting fun-filled, non-competitive initiatives all across North-America aimed at exposing young female athletes to inspiring female Olympians and elite level athletes. The young girls who attend Fast and Female events today will lead it in the future, may it be as athletes, coaches, volunteers, parents, and community leaders. For more information about Fast and Female, visit /

ABOUT THE CANADIAN CYCLING ASSOCIATION

The Canadian Cycling Association (CCA) is the governing body for competitive cycling in Canada. Founded in 1882, the CCA aims to create and sustain an effective system that develops talented Canadian cyclists to achieve Olympic, Paralympic and World Championship medal performances. With the vision to be a leading competitive cycling nation by 2020 celebrating enhanced international success, increased a participation and world class event hosting, the CCA manages the National teams, hosts national and international events, and administers community programs to promote Cycling in Canada. For more information, please visit: http://www.canadian-cycling.com/.

April 23, 2012
Fast & Female XC Dryland Event in Oregon to offer Wisdom for Girls and Adults

Click here to register.

Bend, OR (April 16, 2012) – On May 20, the Athletic Club of Bend, Oregon, is partnering with Fast and Female to offer an energizing afternoon for both youth and adults.

Fast and Female, a program launched seven years ago by 2006 Olympic gold medallist Chandra Crawford – is inviting girls ages 9 to 19 for a day of dance, activities, and inspiration from 3 pm to 6 pm. Following successful events in Maine, Vermont and Alaska, this coming activity will mark Fast and Female’s inaugural visit to Oregon.

World Championship medalist and 2012 World Cup crystal globe winner Kikkan Randall will lead all activities. She hopes her excitement and passion within the sport will empower the girls to pursue their own dreams.

Crawford, who finished a strong season at the Haywood Ski Nationals in Quebec with a gold medal in the 30k distance race, will also be bringing her enthusiasm to the Bend revelry.

Other ambassadors include US female powerhouses Sadie Bjornsen, Susan Dunklee, Katrina Howe, Liz Stephen and Ida Sargent. Crawford’s fellow World Cup Canadian XC ski teammate, Alysson Marshall will also be joining the event as an inspiring ambassador. The US and Canada’s top cross country and biathlon athletes will be in the Bend region to take advantage of on-snow training at Mount Bachelor.

Redmond High School ski coach Tim Gibbons, is looking forward to having some star talent in town. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for the athletes I coach to be inspired and motivated by successful World Cup athletes.”

While the youth dance their way through the afternoon, parents and coaches can participate in educational seminars. Experts will educate adults on subjects such as Physiological and Developmental Issues for Adolescent Females in Endurance Sports, Nutrition, and Developing High School Skiers as Endurance Athletes.

Jenny Anderson, Director of Fitness Operations at the Athletic Club of Bend said: “The Athletic Club of Bend is pleased to be hosting the Fast and Female XC Dryland event. The Athletic Club of Bend is committed to enriching lives everyday and believes strongly in developing human potential and that is exactly what the Fast and Female clinic will do for female athletes, parents and coaches in our community.”

Youth activity costs are $10, which includes a Fast and Female t-shirt, buff and snack. Parent and coach seminars are $20. Participants can secure a spot by signing up online or by visiting Fast & Female.

Fast and Female would like to thank Best Buy, Clarins, Buff, Karbon, and Cold-FX as well as Lululemon Athletica, LUNA Bars, LIT Glitter, SAUCE Headwear, Champion System and local sponsors Oregon Nordic Ski Foundation and the Athletic Club of Bend for their support in helping make this event happen.

April 18, 2012
Fast & Female…and Classy

With the Super Tour in our neighborhood last week we got to see some fast skiing! Craftsbury Outdoor Center hosted the tour finals and closed out the week with a Fast & Female Clinic on Sunday.

Several girls in our Mansfield Nordic Club attended Fast and Female and raved about it (see their comments below).

Randall signing autographs at the Fast and Female event at SuperTour Finals.

But some other interactions with the USA and Canadian women gave insight to their class, beyond their fast skiing. At end of the hill climb Wednesday, Jessie & Chandra crossed the line, collapsed and received assistance getting back on their feet; moments later, they handed their bibs to the young skiers collecting them, then paused to talk to the kids, ask about their skiing and thanked them for being there to help.

During the 30k the women’s field hammered for 20 laps on the tough course; I was impressed with the way the lead skiers worked their way through the lapped skiers with courtesy and respect.

At the end of the race, after a full season and a full week of exhausting competition, Kikkan, Jessie, Ida, Susan, Rebecca, Sadie, Holly and others chatted with our girls, asked about their skiing, posed for photos, signed autographs and took a real interest in these middle school kids who skipped school to watch them race.

The Fast & Female clinic was a blast for our girls. At a time when world-class athletes can seem aloof and surly, the top USA & Canadian women were gracious, kind, encouraging and inspirational! Check out these quotes from the girls in our club…

From Olivia…

Fast and Female was so awesome! It was amazing meeting everyone — especially the world cuppers! They are all so funny and SUPER NICE! I think my favorite part was just seeing all of the great skiers in person. I don’t exactly have a favorite skier. I think it was either Liz or Jessie. I was in awe of Kikkan. Her crystal globe was so cool.

Fast and Female

From Marika…

Most people think of the famous athletes as celebrities, people they would never get to meet. This isn’t always true. Last Sunday I went to Fast and Female, an organization that lets kids meet people like Kikkan Randall and Chandra Crawford.

Fast and Female was really fun! First was the free Buff, which is decorated with pink and purple squares and had the Fast and Female logo in the center. After getting all of our ski clothing on, (putting on boots standing up is actually really hard) we separated into groups and did some cool activities. My favorite was when we got as much speed as we could on a hill and a person with a speed gun told us how fast we had gone. My highest score was 22mph.

After skiing we went and had lunch at the dining hall. The food was awesome. Then we rushed back to the big tent for some dancing. I really liked how Fast and Female wasn’t just skiing, and that we got to do other stuff too. The dance teacher taught us some pretty cool moves, and we danced away for awhile.

At the end we all sat down in the tent and the ambassadors told us their stories. (The ambassadors were the skiers.)

Kikkan Randall had a cool story of how she had wanted to be in the Olympics since she was a kid.

Chandra Crawford told us about how she always stayed on the optimistic side of things, and that we should stay on the positive side too. Then we got to have them sign our things.

My favorite ambassador was probably Jessie Diggins. She was totally upbeat and happy, and was always smiling. Also, she’s only nineteen, which shows that she worked really hard to be the amazing skier she is today.

When everyone was done with the autographs, we filled out a survey on how we liked Fast and Female. I wrote that I really liked it, and that it was super cool that we got to meet all those famous people.

If I can, I would love to go back next year.

From Esther…

It was fun. Liz let me in. I was too young. She was so nice. We did tag fox[e]s and then biathlon with Susan. We did downhill on one ski, racing down a hill with Sadie, and an obstacle course with Ida. We got to see Kikkan’s crystal globe and Chandra’s gold medal. We got posters with their names on it. It was a good day.

From Eliza…

I had such an amazing experience at Fast and Female!! Getting to meet the older skiers and having them play with us the whole time was so cool. I even got to wear an Olympic gold medal won by Chandra Crawford. They were all enthusiastic and made the day all the better.

For skiing we stopped at different stations and did all types of fun stuff from obstacle courses to measuring our speed with a speed gun. My record was 22 mph! After that we danced in the big tent and learned some interesting new dance moves! The instructor kept the spirit lively and energetic and I loved doing that. This was a great experience and I can not wait till next year. Go spunky salmon skiers!!!

From Emily…

Some things that I liked about Fast and Female was getting to do ski activities with the Wold Cup level athletes. I especially liked the activity where we went down the hill as fast as we could go and they would measure our speed with a radar gun. Two of my favorite athletes were Kikkan Randell, who keeps chasing her goals, and Chandra Crawford, who won the Olympic Gold, which was quite inspiring for me. All in all it was a fun filled day!

The Crystal Globe

April 9, 2012
Park City Fast and Female Event Brings Together Athletes from Across Disciplines

Liz Stephen (USST), one of the athletes running the Fast and Female event on October 8.

On October 8, 25 elite female athletes from six different sports will come together in Park City for the fourth Fast and Female event in the US this year, and the first one in the States to include athletes from sports outside of cross country skiing. On Saturday afternoon from 1 to 4 pm at the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) Center for Excellence, girls ages 9 to 19 will be joining top biathletes, skiers, speed skaters, and snowboarders for a dryland session, yoga, and a motivational presentation.

The U.S. Ski team (USST) is currently in the middle of a two-and-a-half week training camp in Park City, and USST veteran Liz Stephen thought it would be a good idea to make the most of having a her cross country teammates join up with athletes from other USSA disciplines to put together a fun event. Kikkan Randall, Holly Brooks, Sadie Bjornsen, and Jessie Diggins will be joining her, as well as biathlon ambassadors Annalies Cook, Zina Kocher, Kathryn Stone, Melanie Schultz, and Andrea Mayo.

“It has been cool to see that so many athletes from other disciplines, without much previous knowledge of Fast and Female, have just jumped on board so quickly!” said Randall.

Though Canada has hosted multi-sport events for several years, this is the first time the US ambassadors have been able to organize something similar across multiple disciplines. Fast and Female was originally founded in 2006 by Canada’s Olympic Gold Medalist Chandra Crawford, whose goal was to develop programs to keep girls in sports.

“My hope is that once the athletes from other disciplines experience how much fun and how impactful these Fast and Female events are, they will be inspired to start doing Fast and Female events in their respective sports and communities,” said Randall.

Parents and coaches will also be able to participate in the event and listen to presentations by experts on sports psychology, injury prevention, and nutrition.

Pre-registration is $20 and is open until October 6, and includes a Fast and Female t-shirt, a Buff, a snack, and an autographed poster. Click here to sign up now. Day-of sign-up will also be available for $25. Read more about the details of the event at the Fast and Female website.

October 5, 2011
Fast and Female to Host First-Ever Park City Event October 8th

A dynamic and inspiring group of world-class female athletes is preparing to host a once-in-a-lifetime Fast and Female event in Park City on October 8, 2011 at the USSA’s Center of Excellence.

Held in partnership with the U. S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) and open to girls ages 9 to 19 practicing all sports, the event will feature an afternoon of fun and non-competitive dryland training followed by a motivational presentation. The activity will conclude with a yoga segment and an autograph signing session.

The highlight of the Fast and Female Park City event will be the presence of the following 25 world-class female athletes representing the sports of Alpine Skiing, Biathlon, Cross-Country Skiing, Freestyle Skiing, Snowboard, and Speed Skating:

– Shannon Bahrke (Moguls)
– Erin Bartlett (Short Track Skating)
– Sadie Bjornsen (XC Skiing)
– Brittany Bowe (Long Track Skating)
– Holly Brooks (XC Skiing)
– Sarah Chen (Short Track Skating)
– Callan Chythlook-Sifsof (Snowboardcross)
– Annelies Cook (USA Biathlete)
– Emily Cook (Aerials)
– Alexa Devereaux (Aerials)
– Jessie Diggins (XC Skiing)
– Alyson Dudek (Short Track Skating)
– Kaitlyn Farrington (Halfpipe)
– Faye Gulini (Snowboardcross)
– Morgan Izykowski (Short Track Skating)
– Zina Kocher (Canadian Biathlete)
– Jana Lindsey (Aerials)
– Chelsea Marshall (Alpine)
– Andrea Mayo (Biathlete)
– Netanya Mintz (Long Track Skating)
– Kikkan Randall (XC Skiing)
– Melanie Shultz (Canadian Biathlete)
– Jessica Smith (Short Track Skating)
– Kathryn Stone (Biathlete)
– Liz Stephen (XC Skiing)

On this special occasion, more than 150 aspiring female athletes will get first-hand experience from this select group of athletes – all of which are active World Cup/Europa Cup competitors and the majority of which are Olympians.

“Sports have taught me so many important life lessons and have made me the person I am today,” said Shannon Bahrke silver medalist in moguls at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, bronze medalist at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, and 2003 World Cup Champion.

“Setting lofty goals, working hard to achieve them, and never giving up when things get hard are just a few of those lessons that I want to instill in young female athletes. I know they can do anything because girl athletes are awesome and we rule,” concluded Bahrke who became the first US women’s freestyle skier to win multiple Olympic medals with her bronze medal in 2010.

The key objective for the afternoon will be to motivate girls to stick to sports by exposing them to inspiring and positive female role models. It is said that girls are six times more likely to drop out of sports than boys.

“I chose to be a part of ‘Fast and Female’ because I know the difference it has made for me to live a fun and active lifestyle,” said Emily Cook, a two-time Olympian with five career World Cup podiums. “I am really excited to help pass on the lessons that I have learned through sport like teamwork, leadership, being confident and having fun to young women in our community and to have some time to play and sweat with these amazing ladies,” she added.

As a non-profit and North-America-wide program started in 2005 by Chandra Crawford – Canada’s 2006 Olympic gold medalist in cross country – Fast and Female is intensely focused on delivering effective programming to keep girls in sports. So far in 2011, Fast and Female has hosted a total of 10 events, reaching 1,030 girls. The Park City event marks the fourth event held on U.S. soil this year and also the first U.S. event ever held with ambassadors from sports other than cross country skiing. Past Fast and Female events held in the U.S. in 2011 took place in Maine, Alaska, and Sun Valley – all on snow.

“It’s been a fun journey bringing Fast and Female to the US in cross-country,” said Kikkan Randall, lead Fast and Female ambassador in the US and double World Cup winner on the Cross-country circuit in 2011. “I’m really excited for the opportunity to expand into more disciplines with this Park City event,” added the full-time athlete who has held three Fast and Female events in her hometown of Anchorage since 2009.

To complement the youth programming, parents and coaches are invited to join the “Amazing Tips Seminar”. While the girls will be taking part in the dryland stations, adults will have the opportunity to attend three insightful presentations on Sport Psychology/Mental Toughness with Dr. Lauren Loberg, NCC, CC-AASP (Director of Athlete Career and Education), on Nutrition/Fueling the Fast Female with Adam Korzun (High Performance Dietician) and on Injury Prevention and Body Maintenance with Jess Tidswell, PT. DPT, ATC (Medical Resident Physical Therapist/Athletic Trainer). All three guest speakers are experts in their respective fields and employees of USSA.

The registration fee for the youth segment is $20 per participant and includes a Fast and Female t-shirt, a Buff, a snack, an autograph poster. Parents and coaches can also secure a seat by purchasing a ticket for $20 which includes access to the seminar and a Fast and Female t-shirt valued at $20.

All registrations are compiled online at http://ffparkcityoct2011.eventbrite.com/. Please note that financial assistance is available for participants in need. Please contact info@fastandfemale.com to inquire.

The deadline to register online is October 6, 2011. On-site registrations will be at a rate of $25 per participant.

This activity is made possible thanks to valuable local partners such as USSA, US Bank, Einstein’s Bagels, and Knead a Massage. Fast and Female’s national sponsors – including Best Buy, Buff Multifunctional Headwear, Cold-FX, LUNA Bars, and LIT Glitter – are also providing key resources to make this event possible. For a complete list of Fast and Female national program supporters and sponsors, please visit: /default.asp?lang=&mode=webpage&id=89.

September 27, 2011
First-Ever Fast and Female Park City Event

Park City, UT / Canmore, AB – A dynamic and inspiring group of world-class female athletes is preparing to host a once-in-a-lifetime Fast and Female event in Park City on October 8, 2011 at the USSA’s Center of Excellence.

Held in partnership with the U. S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) and open to girls ages 9 to 19 practicing all sports, the event will feature an afternoon of fun and non-competitive dryland training followed by a motivational presentation. The activity will conclude with a yoga segment and an autograph signing session.

The highlight of the Fast and Female Park City event will be the presence of the following 25 world-class female athletes representing the sports of Alpine Skiing, Biathlon, Cross-Country Skiing, Freestyle Skiing, Snowboard, and Speed Skating:

– Shannon Bahrke (Moguls)
– Erin Bartlett (Short Track Skating)
– Sadie Bjornsen (XC Skiing)
– Brittany Bowe (Long Track Skating)
– Holly Brooks (XC Skiing)
– Sarah Chen (Short Track Skating)
– Callan Chythlook-Sifsof (Snowboardcross)
– Annelies Cook (USA Biathlete)
– Emily Cook (Aerials)
– Alexa Devereaux (Aerials)
– Jessie Diggins (XC Skiing)
– Alyson Dudek (Short Track Skating)
– Kaitlyn Farrington (Halfpipe)
– Faye Gulini (Snowboardcross)
– Morgan Izykowski (Short Track Skating)
– Zina Kocher (Canadian Biathlete)
– Jana Lindsey (Aerials)
– Chelsea Marshall (Alpine)
– Andrea Mayo (Biathlete)
– Netanya Mintz (Long Track Skating)
– Kikkan Randall (XC Skiing)
– Melanie Shultz (Canadian Biathlete)
– Jessica Smith (Short Track Skating)
– Kathryn Stone (Biathlete)
– Liz Stephen (XC Skiing)

On this special occasion, more than 150 aspiring female athletes will get first-hand experience from this select group of athletes – all of which are active World Cup/Europa Cup competitors and the majority of which are Olympians.

“Sports have taught me so many important life lessons and have made me the person I am today,” said Shannon Bahrke silver medalist in moguls at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, bronze medalist at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, and 2003 was the World Cup Champion.

“Setting lofty goals, working hard to achieve them, and never giving up when things get hard are just a few of those lessons that I want to instill in young female athletes. I know they can do anything because girl athletes are awesome and we rule,” concluded Bahrke who became the first US women’s freestyle skier to win multiple Olympic medals with her bronze medal in 2010.

The key objective for the afternoon will be to motivate girls to stick to sports by exposing them to inspiring and positive female role models. It is said that girls are six times more likely to drop out of sports than boys.

“I chose to be a part of ‘Fast and Female’ because I know the difference it has made for me to live a fun and active lifestyle,” said Emily Cook, a two-time Olympian with five career World Cup podiums. “I am really excited to help pass on the lessons that I have learned through sport like teamwork, leadership, being confident and having fun to young women in our community and to have some time to play and sweat with these amazing ladies,” she added.

As a non-profit and North-America-wide program started in 2005 by Chandra Crawford – Canada’s 2006 Olympic gold medalist in cross country – Fast and Female is intensely focused on delivering effective programming to keep girls in sports. So far in 2011, Fast and Female has hosted a total of 10 events, reaching 1,030 girls. The Park City event marks the fourth event held on U.S. soil this year and also the first U.S. event ever held with ambassadors from sports other than cross country skiing. Past Fast and Female events held in the U.S. in 2011 took place in Maine, Alaska, and Sun Valley – all on snow.

“It’s been a fun journey bringing Fast and Female to the US in cross-country,” said Kikkan Randall, lead Fast and Female ambassador in the US and double World Cup winner on the Cross-country circuit in 2011. “I’m really excited for the opportunity to expand into more disciplines with this Park City event,” added the full-time athlete who has held three Fast and Female events in her hometown of Anchorage since 2009.

To complement the youth programming, parents and coaches are invited to join the “Amazing Tips Seminar”. While the girls will be taking part in the dryland stations, adults will have the opportunity to attend three insightful presentations on Sport Psychology/Mental Toughness with Dr. Lauren Loberg, NCC, CC-AASP (Director of Athlete Career and Education), on Nutrition/Fueling the Fast Female with Adam Korzun (High Performance Dietician) and on Injury Prevention and Body Maintenance with Jess Tidswell, PT. DPT, ATC (Medical Resident Physical Therapist/Athletic Trainer). All three guest speakers are experts in their respective fields and employees of USSA.

The registration fee for the youth segment is $20 per participant and includes a Fast and Female t-shirt, a Buff, a snack, an autograph poster. Parents and coaches can also secure a seat by purchasing a ticket for $20 which includes access to the seminar and a Fast and Female t-shirt valued at $20.

All registrations are compiled online at http://ffparkcityoct2011.eventbrite.com/. Please note that financial assistance is available for participants in need. Please contact info@fastandfemale.com to inquire.

The deadline to register online is October 6, 2011. On-site registrations will be at a rate of $25 per participant.

This activity is made possible thanks to valuable local partners such as USSA, US Bank, Einstein’s Bagels, and Knead a Massage. Fast and Female’s national sponsors – including Best Buy, Buff Multifunctional Headwear, Cold-FX, LUNA Bars, and LIT Glitter – are also providing key resources to make this event possible. For a complete list of Fast and Female national program supporters and sponsors, please visit: /default.asp?lang=&mode=webpage&id=89.

September 5, 2011

Tag: Fast and Female

Calling All GIRLS