Season Recap 2025-26

After packing my bags with gear from Finn Sisu, I headed over to Europe and started the season off well. I qualified for the Biathlon World Cup and was consistent from the start. This was helpful for me during decisions regarding start spots and managing team dynamics. I qualified for the Olympics after the first trimester of racing and transitioned straight into peaking mode.

During the off-weeks from racing, I dedicated myself to heavy training. However, by the second trimester of racing in late January, the schedule began to feel like a drag. In addition, because biathlon is the only winter sport without an Olympic medal for the US, there was significant stress among athletes, coaches, and support staff, with everyone feeling the pressure for the team to come home with a medal. It seems the US Olympic Committee measures success (and funding) based on medals, and anything but that is a failure.

As someone who still felt like a bit of a beginner to the sport, managing that outside pressure was a new challenge. Personally, I went in with no specific expectations other than putting in efforts I could be proud of. I tried to keep my focus on that while completing the training I needed each day.

Competing at the Olympics was amazing. Wearing a race bib with the Olympic Rings on my chest seemed a bit surreal, but once we got out on the course and in the shooting range I was able to push all of the media hype out of my mind and focus on the task at hand.

Beyond the actual biathlon races, I was able to scope out a curling match, see the sliding track, and participate in the classic Olympic tradition of pin trading. Because our venue was a 4-5 hour drive to Milan, I didn’t get to see the “hub” of the Olympics, but was able to attend the closing ceremonies which truly made me feel like I was at the Games. The days throughout were also a little busier than normal with lots of media interviews, though it was especially fun to talk to the Minnesota based stations. What made the whole experience extra special was having friends and family members there to share the experience. Many of the friends that came were my teammates from high school Nordic which felt like a full circle moment.

I had a mixed bag of results in the four events I competed in. One great, one okay, and two that didn't quite meet my expectations. The highlight was a 21st-place finish in the Individual 15k where I hit 19 out of 20 shots! At the end of the day besides all the extra hype and security checkpoints, it felt much like the World Cup racing I’ve grown accustomed to. This was a good reminder to always give a good effort at whatever level, because at the end of the day, all racing is the same!

One of my biggest takeaways this year was the power of mental training. Our shooting coach led us through short 10-15 minute visualization and meditation sessions during the Games. I found these so helpful that I’ve started doing them on my own and will definitely keep this tool in my kit for next season. This is something I had not seriously tried before, and I am shocked with how well it helps. I encourage everyone to try visualization for whatever goals you are trying to achieve!

I carried that momentum into the final trimester of the season, where I became a World Cup medalist with a bronze in the Mixed Relay. I capped off the year at the final race weekend by setting new personal bests and qualifying for a Mass Start.

For those that don’t know biathlon well, these are really good things! Having those results near the end of the season was a great way to keep my energy high. I storage waxed my skis (which you should be sure to do! I know Finn Sisu would love to help out with this!), cleaned my rifle and put away this equipment for a while.

Now that I’m home, the burnout has truly set in. It took about two weeks of being done to realize how grueling the season was. The physical and mental tax of racing back-to-back-to back racing throughout the winter while traveling around 8 different countries really took a toll on me.

I’m taking this off-time to fully relax before getting back to daily workouts. The pressure and extra effort I put in this year were significant and I haven’t had the itch to start exercising in any capacity as I’ve typically had in previous years. In a few weeks the next training year will start and I will be back to moving, grooving, and hopefully improving. The life of a racer isn’t always glamorous, but I’m incredibly happy with what I achieved during an Olympic year.