Roundup: Another Successful Canmore Training Camp Is In The Books

Every other week we scour the web for the latest going on in the world of U.S. Para Nordic skiing. Here’s what you missed!

U.S. Paralympics Nordic Skiing Holds Another Thanksgiving In Canmore

It has become an annual tradition for some of the top American Para Nordic skiers to take a break from training to spend Thanksgiving together in Canmore, Alberta.

That was the case again this year.

More than 45, athletes, coaches and staff members with U.S. Paralympics Nordic Skiing participated in a training camp in Canmore that started in mid-November and ran through Thanksgiving.

Members of the U.S. national team and development team, as well as newcomers to the sport, took part in the training camp. Two-time Olympian Susan Dunklee was also there to help coach athletes in the biathlon.

In addition to training for the upcoming world cup season, the Americans competed in a series of cross-country skiing races against members of the British and Canadian national teams.

Kendall Gretsch, a gold medalist in both Nordic skiing and triathlon, spoke to U.S. Paralympics Nordic Skiing about her experiences in the sport.

Dani Aravich Records First “Clean” Biathlon Race

Dani Aravich recently accomplished a feat that had so far alluded her as an adaptive skier: The two-time Paralympian didn’t miss a target during a four-stage biathlon race.

Aravich recorded the first “clean” four-stage biathlon race of her career while competing in Canmore. Clean is a biathlon term used to describe when athletes hit all their targets during the shooting portion of a race.

She hit all 20 of her targets during the race.

Aravich, who’s a member of the U.S. Paralympics Nordic Skiing national team, is still relatively new to Para Nordic skiing.

She shared on Instagram that she “stepped on skinny skis for the first time” four years at the Hartford Ski Spectacular, one of the nation’s largest winter sports festivals for people with disabilities.

“What a wonky journey it’s been!” Aravich wrote on Instagram. “Starting an elite level sport in your mid-20s is tough, especially one as technical as Nordic skiing.”

Oksana Masters Recognizes International Day of People with Disabilities

Oksana Masters has advocated on behalf of adaptive athletes over the years.

Dec. 3 is known as International Day of People with Disabilities. The official Instagram account for the UCI Cycling World Championships recognized the day by sharing an interview with Masters at that August event in Scotland.

Masters is a Paralympic gold medalist in cycling in addition to being the most decorated U.S. Winter Paralympian of all time. She won the women’s road race H5 in a photo finish at the Para-cycling world championships on Aug. 11.

Liza Corso Caps Strong Season As A Distance Runner

Liza Corso has shown potential while training with U.S. Paralympics Nordic Skiing during her offseason.

She stays busy in the fall competing as a distance runner for Lipscomb University, where she competes for the Bisons women’s cross country team.

Corso recently capped her junior season at Lipscomb with a strong showing at the 2023 NCAA Division I championships in Charlottesville, Virginia. She finished the 6,000-meter race 138th overall, crossing the finish line in 20 minutes, 56.0 seconds. Her team took 11th of 31 teams.

Soon after crossing the cross country running finish line, Corso joined the other U.S. Nordic skiers at the Canmore training camp.

Corso made her Paralympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Games and earned a silver medal in the women’s 1,500-meter race. She recently celebrated the end of her junior season on Instagram.

Alex Abrams has written about Olympic sports for more than 15 years, including as a reporter for major newspapers in Florida, Arkansas and Oklahoma. He is a freelance contributor to USParaNordicSkiing.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.