Tag: random facts

7 Things You Didn’t Know About Erik Bjornsen
Erik Bjornsen after winning the first race of 2014 U.S. Cross Country Championships, the 15 k classic individual start, on Jan. 4 at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah. It was the 22-year-old Bjornsen’s second national title in as many years.

Fresh off a national title at 2014 U.S. Cross Country Championships, Erik Bjornsen flew to Europe, did a couple World Cup races in Poland and was officially named to the 2014 Olympic team shortly after. In his first Olympics, Bjornsen, 22, will be the second-youngest U.S. nordic skier in Sochi after teammate Jessie Diggins — and he’s headed there with his sister, Sadie, also on the team. But first, he and Diggins are racing at U23 World Championships, which start tomorrow in Val di Fiemme, Italy.

Athlete: Erik Bjornsen

Team: U.S. Ski Team; Alaska Pacific University (first Olympics)

Age: 22

Hometown: Winthrop, Wash.

Sadie and Erik Bjornsen while training with Alaska Pacific University at Hatcher Pass near Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo: Sadie Bjornsen/sadiebjornsen.blogspot.com)

7 Things:
1. Favorite city to have a layover: Seattle
2. Favorite drink: Hot chocolate
3. Most exciting games: Foosball and Sequence
4. Best role models: Mom and Dad
5. Least-favorite road in Anchorage: Tudor
6. Favorite very affordable truck: 1994 Ford Ranger
7. My favorite place: Methow Valley, Washington
Bonus Round:
- Go-to mantra or motto: Life goes on, everything happens for a reason.
- What do you miss most while on the road (besides family and friends)? My apartment on Alaska Pacific University campus.
- Best part about being a pro athlete: Making friends all around the world.
- 3 travel essentials: 1. French to English Translator, 2. My neck pillow, 3. Stac It Up gloves
- Go-to travel meal or food: PowerBars
- Song you could listen to non-stop: “Same Love” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
- Song you wouldn’t mind never hearing again: Drake’s new album
***
January 28, 2014
7 Things You Didn’t Know About Ida Sargent (Birthday Edition)
Ida Sargent (second from left) with her Craftsbury Green Racing Project teammates Liz Guiney (l), Susan Dunklee and Hannah Dreissigacker on a ski earlier this week in Platzwiese in the Italian Dolomites. (Photo: Ida Sargent)

On her 26th birthday, Ida Sargent of the U.S. Ski Team shares some fun personal tidbits from Toblach, Italy, three days after she was officially named to the 2014 Olympic team.

Athlete: Ida Sargent

Team: U.S. Ski Team; Craftsbury Green Racing Project (first Olympics)

Age: 26

Hometown: Orleans, Vt.

Sargent on her way to qualifying 15th at the World Cup skate sprint on Jan. 18 in Szklarska Poreba, Poland. She went on to finish 13th then notch a career-best distance result of ninth in the 10 k classic sprint the next day. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)

7 Things:
1. I have been known to drink maple syrup straight and one of the desserts we had when I was growing up was a small bowl of maple syrup.
2. I’m a horrible swimmer and I barely survived swim lessons as a kid
3. My size 35 feet [Euro] are the smallest on the World Cup
4. I love spontaneity and new adventures. During college I was studying abroad in France and I rented a cruiser bike for a week and biked around southwest France and the Pyrenees by myself without a plan just choosing roads that looked cool and a place to stay when I got tired.
5. I only drink out of the right side of my mouth
6. I decided I wanted to go to Dartmouth College when I was 8 years old because I watched the NCAA championships and thought the teal Dartmouth suits with purple snowflakes were by far the coolest.
7. I’m the youngest of three kids and both my siblings are much better skiers than I am but they don’t get out on their xc skis very much anymore. I owe any success to them though as developed my competitive drive desperately trying to keep up with my sister Elsa and learned how to be tough from my brother Eben during times like when he forced me to ride my bike over 10 miles to school in the 1st grade when we missed the bus.
Bonus Round:
- Go-to mantra or motto: Carpe diem
- What do you miss most while on the road (besides family and friends)? Independence
- Best part about being a pro athlete: I get to play outside every single day!
- 3 travel essentials: VT Coffee Company coffee, kindle, earplugs
- Go-to travel meal or food: Yogurt and cereal
- Song you wouldn’t mind never hearing again: Loud and angry heavy metal
***

See also: Sadie Bjornsen | Sophie Caldwell | Jessie Diggins | Simi Hamilton | Alex Harvey| Noah Hoffman | Andy Newell | Kikkan Randall
January 25, 2014
7 Things You Didn’t Know About Alex Harvey
Alex Harvey racing in the World Cup individual classic sprint last weekend in Asiago, Italy. Harvey posted the 13th-fastest qualifying time but was disqualified for skating. (Photo: Fischer/Nordic Focus)

Alex Harvey’s not a fan of The Biebs; he wishes he was because Bieber’s Canadian — but he just can’t stand that kid’s music. Here are several other random facts about the 25-year-old Québec native on the road to his second Olympics.

Athlete: Alex Harvey

Team: Canadian World Cup Team

Age: 25

Hometown: St.-Ferreol, Québec

7 Things:
1. Most ever 2nd places at “Settlers of Catan”
2. Sleeping in almost on the daily
3. Moaning lots when sleeping (and sleeping lots too…so lots of moaning)
4. I like french toast 1,000 times more than pancakes. By pancakes I do NOT mean crepes. Crepes are great. You can have crepes for lunch
5. When testing skate skis, and having a different ski in each feet (pair A in left foot, pair B in right foot) the ski in the right foot always feels faster.
6. When my girlfriend picks me up at the airport, there’s always some fresh baked goods waiting for me, or cheese and crackers. She’s the best.
7. I chew gum like it’s my job. North American gum lasts way longer then Euro gum. Fact.
8. (Bonus): Getting better and better at fake listening to what Kersh has to say, while being able to keep doing what I’m doing.
Bonus Round:
- Go-to mantra or motto: During rough workouts, I come back to the goals I’ve set for myself and it helps me power through. Then, during the season, when I have a bad race I remember those rough workouts and how I managed to power through them, so it gives me confidence for the next races, even after a bad result.
- What do you miss most while on the road (besides family and friends)? Driving my car. Rentals are OK but I like my car at home. Cooking my own food.
- Best part about being a pro athlete: We are surrounded by great people who are there to work for us.
- 3 travel essentials: Noise-cancelling headphones, iPad, coffee grinder+french press combo.
- Go-to travel meal or food: Sandwich. Boring but I just love sandwiches.
- Song that you could listen to non-stop: “F*ckwithmeyouknowigotit” by Jay-Z (ft. Rick Ross)
- Song you wouldn’t mind never hearing again: Anything Justin Bieber. It’s too bad he’s canadian…but I just can’t stand it.
***

See also: Sadie Bjornsen | Sophie Caldwell | Simi Hamilton | Noah Hoffman | Andy Newell | Kikkan Randall
December 27, 2013