Fly Girls
02/23/2022 11:10AM ● By Tiia Libin
Steamboat Springs athlete Alexa Brabec. Photo courtesy of USA Nordic Sport
Over 700 young athletes in 40 clubs nationwide take part in USA Nordic’s ski jumping and Nordic combined programs, but despite this stiff competition,Steamboat Springs women dominate both fields.
Ski jumpers Annika Belshaw and Logan Sankey, and Nordic combined skiers Tess Arnone, Alexa Brabec and Annika Malacinski share a bond as athletes from Steamboat. They rely on each other as teammates, as training partners and as leaders who have a responsibility to pave the path for future generations.
Depending on the season, when the Nordic combined women are at home in Steamboat, they train five days a week together. When this small crew is on the road, they live together and train together almost every day.
"It’s inspiring to be on a strong women’s team,” Brabec says. “Traveling and being away from my family can be very mentally tough, but having some other women my age to lean on and have fun with is really helpful.”
These athletes spend a lot of time together and as a result, build a strong, almost-familial bond.“I feel that we push each other to be our best,” Arnone says. “Over the years, we’ve become some sort of mix between friends and family.”
Ski jumpers Annika Belshaw and Logan Sankey train almost every day together and live together for the majority of the winter. There are several USA Nordic camps throughout the year, one of which was recently hosted in Lake Placid at the site of the Olympic trials, whereSteamboat’s ski jumping and Nordic combined teams were together. This gave them the opportunity to discuss what they had been working on, hang out and enjoy each other’s company in a non-competitive environment.
“We are all very different but so strong in our individual ways, which is great because it allows us to draw on each other for help. The dynamics within a team in what’s ultimately an individual sport can definitely be challenging at times,” Sankey says. “It’s important to be open and honest with teammates and understand that even though it’s an individual sport, the team performing well lifts everyone up.”
Women’s Nordic combined is not yet recognized as an Olympic sport, and is not included in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. “Women’s Nordic combined has made tremendous progress over the past few years. I have grown with the sport and look forward to taking it to the next level,” Malacinski says. “We’re pushing to get our sport included in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. As our team continues to grow the sport and garner the media exposure it deserves, it won’t be long until we are up there with the men representing our country.”
This young group still has an exciting amount of potential. “I believe that if you love what you do, you keep working hard,” Belshaw says.“Through perseverance and determination, you’ll be able to show people your true commitment to the sport and I’m excited to see what the future brings.”
The women of both teams agree that their respective sports are much more than an avenue for potentially getting to the Olympics. “It’s the journey – not the destination,” Arnone says. These women thrive on the international community they have become a part of and have made lifelong relationships with peers around the world. The commonality is that all of their journeys began in one place – Steamboat Springs.
Ski jumpers Annika Belshaw and Logan Sankey, and Nordic combined skiers Tess Arnone, Alexa Brabec and Annika Malacinski share a bond as athletes from Steamboat. They rely on each other as teammates, as training partners and as leaders who have a responsibility to pave the path for future generations.
Depending on the season, when the Nordic combined women are at home in Steamboat, they train five days a week together. When this small crew is on the road, they live together and train together almost every day.
"It’s inspiring to be on a strong women’s team,” Brabec says. “Traveling and being away from my family can be very mentally tough, but having some other women my age to lean on and have fun with is really helpful.”
These athletes spend a lot of time together and as a result, build a strong, almost-familial bond.“I feel that we push each other to be our best,” Arnone says. “Over the years, we’ve become some sort of mix between friends and family.”
Ski jumpers Annika Belshaw and Logan Sankey train almost every day together and live together for the majority of the winter. There are several USA Nordic camps throughout the year, one of which was recently hosted in Lake Placid at the site of the Olympic trials, whereSteamboat’s ski jumping and Nordic combined teams were together. This gave them the opportunity to discuss what they had been working on, hang out and enjoy each other’s company in a non-competitive environment.
“We are all very different but so strong in our individual ways, which is great because it allows us to draw on each other for help. The dynamics within a team in what’s ultimately an individual sport can definitely be challenging at times,” Sankey says. “It’s important to be open and honest with teammates and understand that even though it’s an individual sport, the team performing well lifts everyone up.”
Women’s Nordic combined is not yet recognized as an Olympic sport, and is not included in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. “Women’s Nordic combined has made tremendous progress over the past few years. I have grown with the sport and look forward to taking it to the next level,” Malacinski says. “We’re pushing to get our sport included in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. As our team continues to grow the sport and garner the media exposure it deserves, it won’t be long until we are up there with the men representing our country.”
This young group still has an exciting amount of potential. “I believe that if you love what you do, you keep working hard,” Belshaw says.“Through perseverance and determination, you’ll be able to show people your true commitment to the sport and I’m excited to see what the future brings.”
The women of both teams agree that their respective sports are much more than an avenue for potentially getting to the Olympics. “It’s the journey – not the destination,” Arnone says. These women thrive on the international community they have become a part of and have made lifelong relationships with peers around the world. The commonality is that all of their journeys began in one place – Steamboat Springs.