Growing up in the northwoods of Wisconsin, I always loved anything that had to do with the outdoors and physical activity. I was always successful at racing in both running and skiing and I was winning races in both sports at a young age. Even though I initially chose to focus on nordic, I still hopped in trail and mountain running races from time to time. After ski racing for Colby College and earning All-American honors at the NCAA D1 level, I received offers for spots on professional ski racing teams as well as a full sponsorship opportunity with Salomon Nordic US. I had to make a big decision that many thought was a no brainer: to become a professional nordic ski racer… or not. Instead of ski racing, I decided to move to San Francisco where I would have better access to my other interests like running, climbing, and surfing while also holding a full-time job in the tech industry. Quickly, running became my default during the week mostly thanks to the amazing Mount Tam trails and Bay Area running community. I spent an entire year after retiring from skiing without a race schedule, a transition that was really hard because I never meant to stop racing. I just didn’t know what to do next! That year ended up being super motivating because the discomfort I felt in my situation forced me to think about what I really needed and wanted out of athletics. It showed me that just training wasn’t going to be enough and I needed to get back to racing. 2019 was my first year racing ultras. Now, with the support of Salomon Running US, I’ve raced four, finishing with three podiums including a win at the 2019 Quad Dipsea and a 3rd place finish at my very first 50 miler: the 2020 USATF 50 Mile Trail Championships.