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bronze medalist in slalom, and two years Utah, stephen loves to ski morse Farm’s
after that, he took second in a World Cup. “old school” trails—and eat their maple

“It was definitely helpful for me as creemees—when she’s home.
a slalom skier [to grow up in Vermont] Vermont’s ski culture helped her get
because we tend to get icier conditions,” where she is in her career. “Growing up
he said. “you have to grow up with good in a state where skiing is such a main pas-
fundamentals to ski fast in those condi-
time really got me excited to be playing

tions.”
in winter and supported by the commu-
nity,” she said. “I have never been a part
of a community as wonderful as the one cross-couNtry
in Vermont. People are so excited to hear
skiiNg
about my life and to support me in any
VermoNt’S 2014 olympIc crop creDItS a way they can. I feel really lucky to have
andy Newell
grown up in Vermont.”
SpecIal Home State for SucceSS
three World Cup podiums; two-time
Olympian (2006 & 2010) Ida Sargent
By Peggy shinn
age: 30 2013 World Cup, five top-10 finishes
WHeN tHe 2014 OlymPIC Winter Games open in sochi, russia, on Hometown: shaftsbury
age: 25
Hometown: Orleans
February 7, more than a dozen Vermonters will likely be on the Us Olym- andy Newell grew up
pic roster, including Olympic gold medalists, world champions, and two on the trails of Pros- Ida sargent grew up

skiers who could help the United states win its first ever Olympic med- pect mountain and chasing older sibs eben
al in women’s cross-country skiing. When asked what about Vermont was competing in the and elsa around the
Bill Koch league lol- Craftsbury Outdoor
helped get them where they are in their ski or snowboard careers, they lipop races by age 5. Center’s trails. Her
group of ski friends
credited everything from great access to terrain to maple syrup—and to stratton mountain
a community of people who helped fuel their passion.
school’s cross-country program helped quickly grew to in-
him become a world-class sprinter. In clude susan dunklee and Hannah dreis-
2006, he became the first Us cross-coun- sigacker, now both 2014 Olympic biath-
try skier to stand on a World Cup podium lon hopefuls and her future teammates at

since Bill Koch and tim Caldwell (both dartmouth. sargent still trains with the alpiNe skiiNg
me up from school at 3 o’clock, drive the
Vermonters) in 1983. He now trains with Craftsbury Green racing Project when 20 minutes to the ski area, and we’d put
sms’s elite t2 program.
she isn’t with the Us ski team. she earned our stuff on as fast as we could and ski
Growing up in Vermont fueled his World Cup points her first year on the cir- ryan cochran-Siegle
career because the state is a cross-country cuit and helped the Us women to their 2012 junior world champion, downhill until it was dark,” he said. “It was always
fun and never forced, it’s just what we all
skiing mecca. “But it’s more than that,” best ever relay finish (5th) in 2012.
and combined wanted to do.” three years ago, he fol-
he added. “there’s a lot of cross-country What was it about growing up in age: 21 lowed his older siblings, jessica and tim
skiing history in Vermont. When I was a Vermont that led to her success? “We’re Hometown: starksboro
onto the Us ski team. last season was
young skier, I always looked up to guys used to all kinds of weather conditions,
like Bill Koch and mike Gallagher. you’d from cold to warm to rainy to snowy, the son of 1972 slalom his first on the World Cup, and he scored
points in one Gs.
hear all these legendary stories about icy; we’ve seen it all,” she said. “How to Olympic gold medalist Growing up at a small hill in Ver-
tim Caldwell and Koch while they were ski on any of those conditions on any of Barbara ann Cochran, mont made him fall in love with skiing.
training for the Olympics, like going for those days makes you a lot tougher and ryan Cochran-siegle “It was just all about the skiing,” he said.
six-hour runs over the mountains with no makes you appreciate the sunny, blue grew up under mom’s
watchful eye, chasing “No big fancy lodges, slopeside condo-
water. they probably weren’t even true, days, which sometimes people take for miniums, or big crowds, just a couple
[but it fired] this idea of these rugged hard- granted.”
his cousins around Co-
little trails in the beautiful Green moun-
core Vermonters training for the Olym- chran’s ski area. the youngest of the sec- tains and the freedom to run gates, build
pics. that kind of rugged Vermont style ond generation Cochrans, ryan made the
is something that, as a male cross-country Us ski team four years ago. last Febru- jumps, ski through the woods, or to do BiathloN
whatever else we felt like doing. I’ve trav-
skier, I idolized when I was a kid.”
ary at the World Championships, he tore eled the world skiing, and to me, there’s
Susan Dunklee
his aCl, but is back racing this year.
still no place like Vermont.”
liz Stephen
2012 Biathlon World Championships, What was it about growing up in
2013 World Championships, 5th (10K 5th (individual race) Vermont that led to his success? “the Nolan kasper
freestyle); World Cup podium, 4 x 5K re- age: 27 affordability,” he said. “Having small
2011 Kranjska Gora World Cup slalom,
lay; 2010 Olympian Hometown: Barton
local ski hills around the area provided 2nd place; 2011 europa Cup overall sla-
age: 26
an inexpensive opportunity to be active lom champion; 2010 Olympian
Hometown: east montpelier
the daughter of UVm with my family while enjoying the beau- age: 24
hall-of-famer and tiful outdoors of Vermont. the great
skiing conditions during the winter also Hometown: Warren
a promising alpine two-time Olympian
skier and runner, stan dunklee, susan helped.”
Burke mt academy
liz stephen enrolled dunklee grew up grad Nolan Kasper
at Burke mountain cross-country skiing robby kelley
academy and switched at Craftsbury. after
2012 national champion, giant slalom moved to Vermont
age: 23 when he was 11. But
to skinny skis her skiing for dartmouth and helping the he started training and
sophomore year. It
Big Green win their first NCaa team Hometown: starksboro
racing in the state long
was the right move for the petite stephen. title in 31 years, she wasn’t ready to stop before: at jay Peak,
Four years later, she was national 5K skiing. so she switched to biathlon and like ryan, cousin
freestyle champion, tying with Olympian has quickly become one of the top biath- robby Kelley grew sugarbush, stowe, lyndon Outing Club,
then finally, Burke. senior year, Kasper
Kikkan randall. In 2008, she finished letes in the world. When she’s home, she up on the slopes of made a deal with his dad: make the Us
third at World U23 Championships. Now trains with the Craftsbury Green racing Cochran’s, coached ski team or go straight to college. He
she regularly scores points on the World Project.
by mom lindy. “my made the Us development team in 2007
Cup and helped the United states to its “Community is one of the most mom would pick my
siblings, cousins and
and deferred enrolling at dartmouth.
first World Cup podium in a 4 x 5K relay important things,” she said. “the people two years later, he was a junior World
last November. Now based in Park City,
here are great. they’re very encouraging.

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SeptemberD/eoccetmober 2013