Cross-Country Skiing Athlete Sadie Bjornsen Is All Set To Take Over The Skiing World

Namita Nayyar (WF Team)

6 years ago

Sadie Bjornsen is an American cross-country skier and a member of the United States Ski Team nordic programs “Cross Country A Team” roster. Bjornsen competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia and the Winter Olympics in Korea.

Bjornsen has five individual world cup podium and ten team world cup podiums: Third in the 5 km in Toblach in 2017, third in the 4 x 5 km relay in Lillehammer in 2013 and 2015, 2nd in the 4 x 5 km relay in Nove Mesto in 2016, and 2nd in the team sprint at Dusseldorf in 2011. Bjornsen finished ninth overall in the 2017–18 Tour de Ski, behind team-mate Jessica Diggins in third: this was the first time that two Americans finished in the top ten in the race’s overall classification.

Women Fitness’ President Namita Nayyar recently got in touch with Sadie talking about her journey and what new is happening in her life.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

At the impressionable age of just four years, you attended a parade to welcome home U.S. Cross-Country Skiing Olympians Laura McCabe and Leslie Thompson after they had competed at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympic Winter Games. At that time, you recognized the honor associated with competing at the Olympic Games, and from that point onwards, it became your dream to one day race for your country. Share with us your journey in making your dream come true.

Ms. Sadie Bjornsen:

It was actually in 1998 after Laura McCabe returned from the Nagano Games. I was nine years old. First it started as a childhood dream and and as I became more involved in sport and international racing, I realized what this could be. As I grew older, I started competing overseas, and seeing exactly what this would mean to chase this dream. At the age of sixteen, I started really committing my life to this goal of mine to race at the Olympic level. At the age of 18, I moved to Alaska where I could train alongside the best in the country. The journey has included years of commitment, ups, downs, and amazing memories.

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Ms. Namita Nayyar:

You have been racing on the US Ski Team for five years now, and have been gradually climbing the ladder each year towards being one of the best cross-country skiers in the world. Provide us an insight into a day in your life.

Ms. Sadie Bjornsen:

An average “offseason” day entails waking up, eating breakfast, and training between 1.5 and 3 hours. Then coming home and doing body care (foam rolling, massage, icing, stretching), I make some food to fuel my body for a second session. Most afternoons between training sessions, I will go into physical therapy to get more body care to make sure my body is able to sustain the large loads of training. I then head out for my second training, anywhere from 1.5-3 hours again. Afterwards, I come home and make dinner, get a little rest and catch up with my fiancé, then I head to bed to take on the next day. The majority of my “off-season” training is running, roller skiing, biking, hiking, swimming and weight lifting. I am lucky to have many options to choose from to help build my body into its fittest form during the summer months.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

In 2017, you won your first individual medal on the World Cup circuit, racing in the fifth race of the seven-stage Tour de Ski, a 5km individual event, where you took the home bronze medal. Share with us your training and key factors that helped you become a World Champion?

Ms. Sadie Bjornsen:

Winning my first World Cup individual medal was a huge step in my career. It was a goal I had been targeting that helped motivate me to work extra hard for the next 365 days of the year. As a cross country skier, we live four months of the year out of our suitcase as we travel across Europe racing on the World Cup Circuit. This means a different country, different location, and different hotel room every weekend, for four months. At times this can be tough, but to achieve some of these hard earned goals along the way makes it all worth it!

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

In 2015, you graduated with a degree in Accounting and Nonprofit Business Management from Alaska Pacific University. Upcoming Sport lovers feel its tough to manage studies along with professional sports, share your view on the same.

Ms. Sadie Bjornsen:

I have always loved combining my studies and sport. While it can be challenging to manage, I feel like the benefits outweigh the challenges. When skiing isn’t going as well as I want, school is something to give me purpose. When school feels too overwhelming and challenging, skiing is something I know I can excel and charge at. I feel like both of these challenges combined have encouraged me to be the strongest version of myself. Much of my school is online, and meets at 7-9PM Alaska time, so that equates to signing in from 5-7AM the following morning Central European Time.

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Ms. Namita Nayyar:

Winning involves a lot of determination and sacrifice, more so in the life of a professional sportswoman. What exercises comprise your fitness regime both on a daily basis & when you are preparing for competition?

Ms. Sadie Bjornsen:

The majority of my summer months I get to spend my time training outdoors in the mountains. I live and train out of Anchorage, Alaska, where I run and hike in the mountains,as well as rollerski and bike on the roads to stay fit. My club is fortunate to have The Thomas Training Center at Eagle Glacier where we can ski in the summer as well! Aside from that, I also spend a certain amount of time in the gym to complement my aerobic work. During the winter racing months, most of my training is out on the race trails preparing for the weekend of races.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

Optimum nutrition is an integral part of the life of a sports person to stay fit and recover from wear & tear. There is no doubt you need to take special care of your diet? Do you follow a strict menu to stay healthy and physically fit?

Ms. Sadie Bjornsen:

I always think of nutrition as the fuel for my really fancy sports car. What I eat is what I am. For that reason, I try to be good about feeding myself the very best fuel. That isn’t always easy as we are traveling the world, and trying to find the best food in many different cultures. Despite trying to take good care of myself, I also take the time to reward myself every once in a while. My favorite rewards are tortilla chips, and chocolate.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

Being a professional athlete, you are a role model for many striving to make it their dream come true, provide us in 5 words key to success?

Ms. Sadie Bjornsen:

Never stop believing, have fun!

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

You had your Olympic debut at the 2014 Sochi Games, where you and your teammates finished ninth. You also raced in two individual events, the 10km individual (classical) and the Skiathlon – an event which encompasses 7.5km of classical racing followed by 7.5km of freestyle. Tell us how does it feel to be so close to living your dream?

Ms. Sadie Bjornsen:

Sochi was a dream for me. I went there with my eyes wide open, and taking in the best of this amazing experience. I didn’t have many expectations for myself, so everything was a dream come true! During the 2014 Games, I vowed to myself I would come back again with a dream of winning medals. It was pretty exciting to come back to my second Olympics these past few weeks in South Korea to do exactly so!

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Ms. Namita Nayyar:

Participating in the 2018 Winter Olympics, what according to you is the driving force that has brought you to where you are today?

Ms. Sadie Bjornsen:

The driving force that has brought me back for more is my addiction to the challenge. I have always been one to set goals and dreams. After finishing Sochi, I realized that with four more years of hard work, I could be in a place to fight with the top girls. Setting that goal was key for me. As soon as I set my mind on something, I can formulate steps, and give myself a reason to work hard every single day to chase a larger dream!

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

Having performed so well throughout your career, what inspires, and motivates you as an athlete?

Ms. Sadie Bjornsen:

A lot of what has inspired me in this sport is my teammates. There hasn’t been much of a culture for cross country skiing in the United States. We are competing against teams such as Norway and Sweden that children were born on cross country skis, and medals have been won for centuries. I love that we have come from an underdog position, and worked our way towards the top. The fact that so much of what we are doing has never been done before is a large motivation that inspires me every single day.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

After the incredible Olympic season, what are your future plans?

Ms. Sadie Bjornsen:

My plans are to continue working hard, continue challenging myself, and come back for more! I am currently working on my Masters Degree in Business at Alaska Pacific University, so I will continue working on that on the side. I am also planning to get married the summer of 2019, so that is something fun coming up in the future. In addition, I hope to continue inspiring and fostering the next generation of young athletes to carry on the torch we have created in this sport in this country.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

Women Fitness works relentlessly in reaching out to women all over the world providing them with best in health, fitness, beauty & fashion. What do you wish to say about the website (Womenfitness.net) and message for our readers?

Ms. Sadie Bjornsen:

Sometimes the hardest part of being “healthy” or “the best version of yourself” is taking the first step. Never be afraid to try! Surround yourself with strong, motivated people. I have always believed that you are what you surround yourself with. If you want to push yourself, find motivated women to hold you to that word. Recognize that not every day will be easy, but the achievements along the way will be enough to keep you going. Enjoy the process, and never be afraid to dream!

Follow her journey on:

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