Längdskidsäsongen 2020/2021

Stage 8: In fact, this song was literally stuck in my head during the final climb, because of the Swedish sprint team being the bodyguards for Ebba (and me, by accident, because I was right behind Ebba!) They had the strategy to block for her and pull her down the valley to a faster time, and I saw what was happening and scooted in right behind them. Thanks, Sweden! I owe you one.

I was pretty smoked after the climb, but first, I was so excited for my own personal “stage 9” of the tour that I do every year. After a quick shower and lunch, I got a ride with the coaches back up to Alpe Cermis and cheered on our boys! I love getting to do that because it’s not often that we can cheer for our teammates without sacrificing energy for the next day’s race. So getting to run alongside them, losing my voice, felt like a perfect way to celebrate the tour being done.

For me, I’ve thought a lot about what my passion is in life, and what my purpose is in life. They’re different things. I am passionate about ski racing. I love the challenge, the rush, the people, the endorphins. But my purpose in life isn’t to race fast. My purpose is to try and help other people have a better relationship to their bodies and feel confident in sport through advocacy work.