A dream come true!

Aspen Times article, 2/1/22

https://www.aspentimes.com/news/former-avsc-standout-kate-oldham-named-to-junior-worlds-team-in-cross-country-skiing/

A note from Kate...

The past couple years, maintaining the balance between academics, training/racing, working part-time during the Covid pandemic has been more difficult than ever emotionally, physically, and logistically. I’ve found myself having to dig deeper than ever to tap my innate love of skiing and the courage to set such high goals for myself.

Elite training camps and races this year have been full of opportunities to test myself against the fastest Nordic racers in the US, and now the Jr World Championships offer the most incredible opportunity to-date to learn and grow as a person and an athlete.

Being involved in this sport on such a demanding level, I have learned how rewarding hard work and commitment can be. Nordic has given me the opportunity to learn a lot about myself. People often ask me how I can enjoy committing so much time to training and the answer is simply that I love having something so structured to focus on and a way to challenge myself. Nordic has become a way of life for me and I will enjoy this lifestyle for many years to come. I hope one day as an adult, I can support young skiers coming up in the sport.

For the two week trip, I still need to bridge the gap and come up with about $2,900 to cover my costs for airfare, coaching, waxing, room & board, etc.

Thank you for considering a donation and giving me the opportunity to succeed at this next level.

- Kate Oldham

We could not be more proud of this girl…This season has been a game-changer. Kate began her college ski career at Middlebury in fall 2020 in the height of the pandemic. When they canceled the racing season, she decided to come home, regroup and train and race as much as she could here in the West under the familiar tutelage of her AVSC coach, August Teague. Kate trained her heart out all of 2021 and returned to Middlebury in the fall to train with her new coaches and team. A few weeks ago, at the US Nationals in Utah, all that training paid off when she became the 2022 US Junior Champion in the 7.5k skate (video below, loud mom cheering) and clinched a spot on the US team for the FIS Junior World Cross Country Championships Feb. 22-27 in Lygna, Norway.

https://fasterskier.com/2022/01/rosie-brennan-and-scott-patterson-take-distance-skate-races-in-noteworthy-day-for-apu/

https://fasterskier.com/2022/01/press-release-2022-junior-u23-world-championships-cross-country-teams-announced/

As a 14-year old, Kate first joined the National Competition Nordic Team at Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club's (AVSC) under coach, August Teague. She made All-American at Junior Nationals all four years of high school at Colorado Rocky Mountain School and made her debut on the International stage her Junior year when she represented the US at the U18 Nordic Nations Championships (Skando Cup) in Otepää, Estonia.

While it might sound glamorous, it’s a grind. To give up your summer to a winter sport every year and commit to training 6 days a week, often twice a day for almost 11 months a year is a leap of faith and unfathomable for most teenagers. After graduating from CRMS in 2020, she landed a coveted spot on the Middlebury Ski Team as a freshman in 2020 under coach, Andrew Johnson a former Olympian.

So many of you have asked for a way to contribute and support her, we created this page. Thank you for taking the time to read through this. Xo

Sincerely, Julie and Nelson