The following press release was recently received from SMS. If you have a press release you would like to share, please email info (at) nordicinsights.news. Here’s SMS:
The SMST2 Team is proud to announce this year’s Gap Grant program to support elite World Cup skiers in their pursuit of excellence on the international stage. This initiative provides financial assistance to unfunded (D Team and non-USST) athletes that qualify to race on the FIS World Cup for any period of time.
Gap Grants were made possible by the generous contribution of an anonymous donor and will be available to SMST2 skiers for the 2024-2025 season. The $50,000 gift will be distributed among select World Cup skiers who have demonstrated a commitment to the SMST2 mission — international excellence and local inspiration.
SMST2 Program Director, Maria Stuber says, “We are going to use this money to directly subsidize World Cup racing expenses for unfunded athletes (USST D Team or non-USST athletes) and to cover some staff and travel expenses associated with the SuperTour so that getting to the World Cup is more accessible. Our hope is that athletes will be able to combine this additional funding with grants from the National Nordic Foundation to have 100% of their World Cup expenses covered in the 2025 World Championship year. Providing this to our skiers has been a long term goal and rolling it out this year is a dream come true”
The SMST2 Team has several Olympians on its Advisory Board who competed for Team USA and worked to cover the cost of racing and support their families.
1984 Olympian and SMST2 Advisory Board Member, Sue (Long) Wemyss stated, “I couldn’t have pursued my ski goals without outside help from acquaintances and family friends who generously chose to donate towards my ski racing campaign. The costs of racing and preparing to reach the highest levels of competition have only sky-rocketed over the decades! The financial support of our most generous anonymous donor will go a long way to enabling some of the U.S.’s most promising skiers to pursue their potential in cross-country skiing.”
Bob Gray, a U.S. Ski Team athlete from 1962 to 1974, and Vermont native, reflected on his career saying, “Having spent 12 years on the U.S. Ski Team and struggling to compete at the World level it has been inspiring to see the successes of the SMST2 Team! This team is now competing at the highest level in the sport and winning. It brings tears of joy to my eyes! SMST2 includes young skiers just getting started in the sport and gives them a chance to train with the best in the world. Now, these inspired athletes will have enough financing to take more international opportunities. Having the necessary support to devote all of your energy and attention to the task at hand is absolutely necessary.”
Embed from Getty ImagesBill Koch, who also sits on the SMST2 Advisory Board, is perhaps the most significant figure in the history of American cross-country skiing, known for both his competitive achievements and contribution to the sport’s evolving technique. Bill was the first and only American prior to Jessie Diggens to win an Olympic medal (1976) or the Overall World Cup title (1982).
Bill sees this grant help expedite the development process, stating, “To get better at World Cup racing, you need to race on the World Cup. SMST2’s commitment to support its unfunded athletes and help them get this experience will help expedite their development and raise the bar! It has been a thrill to watch the depth of U.S. skiing explode over the last few years, and making European racing accessible to up-and-comers will help continue this trajectory.”
This initiative reflects the SMST2 Team’s commitment to its mission. SMST2 athletes are training hard and have already started expanding community projects. Gap Grants will ensure that financial barriers do not hinder athletic progress. The SMST2 team is committed to supporting skiers on the world stage, with pride in both the U.S. Team and their club and local community.
