Kodiak Cakes’ Post

How does a national team who basically only consists of three athletes and their parents operate on World Cup level, how can the athletes get the same conditions as the nationalities with million dollar budgets? 🤔 This is the case for me, and it works because of several reasons: When I'm away on World Cups, I only have one person in my support team, and that's either my mom or dad. They do everything, and I mean EVERYTHING that 10 other people from another nation would do. Buy tickets, find hotels, cook food, test skis, do my zeroing, help with the race plan, do groceries, clean the apartment, go to meeting, talk to partners, you name it. The only thing my parents cannot do is wax my skis. Even if I hired 2 people full time to test and wax (which by the way is crazy expensive), I would never ever get as good skis as the best nations. Which is sad, considering ski wax has nothing to do with my athletic performance. But that is why we have deals with other nations to wax my skis. In the past it has been Germany, Norway and Czech Republic. In the end, it is still expensive, but cheaper and better than hiring someone. IBU, the International Biathlon Union has strongly prioritized supporting the small nations because they see the value of having winners from many different nations. Because of their fantastic job, Greenland Biathlon has been able to send athletes to competitions, training camps, get coaching education, get equipment and much more. What about teammates? When I'm away on competitions, I'm the only athlete, apart from a couple times when my brother has done IBU cups. Yes, it can get lonely sometimes, but luckily I have a huge family in the biathlon world. And for the most important part, the training every day, I have my private team in Norway, Team 1.5. Here I have a coach who I can discuss and make training plans with and 19 other athletes who push me to my limit every single day. In conclusion, competing for a small country requires that I am a little more involved in everything that happens than someone on a big team might be. Which can be more work, but it can also give me more control over decisions being made. With the right partners and people who support me, it is definitely not impossible to get to the top!

Awesome to see Anthony Vennare sparking discussions about the upswing in recreational sports and shouting out Crosscourt as a leader in the category 📈. The remarkable growth rates of these activities from 2018 to today underscore a broader trend towards physical well-being and community connection through sport. At Crosscourt, we're on the frontline of this movement, creating spaces where passion for basketball meets the crave for connection and competition. It's more than just a game for us; it's about fostering a community where everyone, from rookies to seasoned players, finds their place and thrives. As we watch this sector bloom, we're inspired every day by the stories of individuals finding wellness and belonging through sport. It's a reminder of the transformative power of play and the pivotal role of platforms and venues in nurturing these communities.

10,500 athletes + 329 events + 39 sports + 19 days = Paris Summer Olympics 2024. The international athletic event gets underway this Friday, July 26 with the Opening Ceremony, to be covered live on NBC at 1:30 p.m. (ET) with an enhanced encore in primetime at 7:30 p.m. For the first time in history, the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics won't begin in a stadium, but on a river – the Seine, which runs through the heart of Paris. The Closing Ceremony on Aug. 11 will take place in the country’s national stadium Stade de France, Here are some other fun facts. Breaking, commonly called breakdancing, is debuting at the 2024 Olympics. It is a style of dance that originated in the Bronx in the 1970s, and over the decades has evolved into a competitive sport, complete with international events, a robust judging system and world championships. Be sure to check it out as it will not return for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, Surfing is making its second Olympic appearance, but 9,000 miles away on the island of Tahiti, known for its challenging waves. Sailing will take place 500 miles south of Paris in the Mediterranean waters off of the Marseille’s coast. Swimming in the Seine River has been banned (and unsafe) for more than a century, but thanks to a massive and expensive cleanup the river will be open to Olympic marathon swimmers. The mayor took a dip the other day and said the water was a little cold, but “very, very good.” While many of the athletes are not well-known, USA’s two basketball teams are star-studded, with LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Brittany Griner. The Tokyo Olympics in 2021 were the hottest in history. But weather forecasters say Paris may break that record.

From Obese to Olympics (on how to set and reach audacious goals) … When I sold Amorana, I weighed 102 kilograms. I needed to rewrite my health story. So, I set an ambitious goal: Going to the Olympics. First, I tried cross-country skiing – and let’s just say it wasn’t my strong suit. Then, Christian Haller a half Swiss half Filipino Curler reached out and I thought: Why ski when I can curl? Fast-forward 6 months and I’m part of the Philippine curling national team hoping to represent the Philippines at the Winter Olympics in 2026! But our first issue was, as we’re all half-Swiss half-Filipino, but two of our players did not have Filipino passports yet. Getting a passport the regular way would have taken too long. So, we had to ask the embassy to expedite it. Fortunately, they were fully on board. We founded the Philippine Curling Association shortly afterwards and thought we were almost through… But we ran into another problem: The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) didn’t know what to do with our application. Turns out, the Philippines do mainly summer sports :) All we could do was wait. We had a deadline to submit our application before the World Curling Congress and with one week left, we still hadn’t heard anything from the POC 6 days, 5 days… With 1 day left, we finally got our endorsement letter. It was a huge relief. Now we could join the World Curling Federation and play our qualification games! Except… we couldn’t. Because our application was so late, we were waitlisted. And then we got lucky again… Kazakhstan’s team unexpectedly pulled out of the tournament. So, from Oct 24 – Nov 4, we played at the Pan Continental Curling Championships (PCCC) in Kelowna. And placed second, right behind China! Here’s what I learned from all of this: 1. Where your focus goes, the energy flows. With focus I can reach audacious goals. 2. Setting ambitious goals and NOT having a plan B can create magic. 3. Problems are here to solve and here to distinguish between people who really want it and others. You can get updates on my Olympic journey by subscribing to my newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/dy5wbxT PS: this video is the first trailer of our movie we are planning. #olympics #training #curling #persistence #founder

Want a good reason to come live in Sweden? Swedes have been ranked as the most active in Europe with 70% exercising or playing a sport at least once per week. Here comes a rundown of some of the more peculiar of Sweden’s sports. A quirky sport that is immensely popular in Sweden is floorball (“innebandy”) – ice hockey without ice nor protective gear. You can even have innebandy be your primary three-year high school specialization. One activity that takes advantage of Sweden’s 70% forest cover is orienteering. All you need is a map, a compass and some pre-placed checkpoints that you run between. The English word is even borrowed from the Swedish “orientering”. Sweden is also in the top two in Europe when it comes to golfers per capita. Cross-country skiing is another great way to see nature. “Vasalopet” – the world largest cross-country skiing competition is also held in Sweden. “Kubb” is more of a summer pastime than a sport – although there is a national championship for it. The two teams use wooden sticks to knock down their opponent’s wooden blocks.

We are just 330 days out from the 2024 Summer Games, which means I have been asked dozens of times, "Is skiing in the Olympics? Water skiing has only once been associated with the Olympic Games, as one of two demonstrations sports at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. A total of 35 skiers from 20 countries competed in traditional 3-event skiing: slalom, trick, and jump on the Baltic Sea, which was the same location for the Olympic Yachting events. As if her 46 National Titles weren't enough, women's slalom was won by Liz Allen — the first and only women's slalom Olympic gold medalist in history. Every time I think about it I get goosebumps. Liz Allen is what little girls' sports dreams are made of — an unattainable dream. While water skiing has been an overall successful addition to PanAm Games for many editions, skiing's inclusion in the Olympics is still looks slim. A few of the current hurdles are a combination of too many human variables, gas-powered boats, the difficulty for the average person to understand, the range and variety of equipment, and current overall popularity/watchability. However, I would argue that perhaps as a sport we have unknowingly started to tackle these issues. ZeroOff provides consistent speed control with virtually no failures. SurePath tracks the driver's path down to the centimeter, an addition to our sport that has elevated our drivers' skills to a whole new level of ability and consistency. The Waterski Broadcasting Company has not only made skiing easy to understand, they also make it thrilling, engaging and more watchable than every before in history. Beyond automated driving — something that probably deserves a whole discussion of its own — what changes do you think would make our sport more appealing to the Olympics and its audience? Photo: I had no luck finding any ski photos from the '72 Games. This is the US team in 1975. #olympicsports #20204olympicgames #waterskiing #nichesports

DAILY POSITIVE IMPACT - YUKON BI-ATHLETE GIVES UP SPOT AT ARCTIC WINTER GAMES SO HIS FRIEND CAN COMPETE A central , research based premise of my Daily Positive Impact articles which I have stated previously is captured in many studies: --Researchers at the University of Southampton found in a study involving over 2,000 respondents that consuming bad news can cause anxiety and an overall bad mood. Uplifting news, on the other hand, motivated readers to make a positive impact rather than lament societal issues. Daily Good: News that Inspires - https://www.dailygood.org/ - is one of the multiple positive news sites I have shared and this article comes from them. Have a healthy and impactful life, Peter Prichard -WEBSITE/BLOG - Have Positive Impact - https://lnkd.in/gygJ37b YUKON BI-ATHLETE GIVES UP SPOT AT ARCTIC WINTER GAMES SO HIS FRIEND CAN COMPETE From: Luke Carroll - A young man looks forward. For many kids across the circumpolar north, going to the Arctic Winter Games is a big opportunity. Chase O'Brien has been competing in biathlon for the past five years. It's a sport that combines either snowshoeing or cross country skiing, and rifle shooting. O'Brien qualified for and attended the 2023 Arctic Winter Games a year ago in Wood Buffalo, Alta., and said he had an unforgettable time. O'Brien qualified again for this year's games in Mat-Su, Alaska — but decided instead to give up his spot for his friend Gallagher D'Abramo. This was the last chance for either of the teens to attend the games, as they'll both age out of the competition after this year. "I want him to also live through that," O'Brien said of his friend. The Arctic Winter Games can be a once in a lifetime opportunity. D'Abramo had been listed as an alternate for the games in Mat-Su. He also didn't make the cut for Wood Buffalo last year. O'Brien knew his friend has been wanting to go to the Arctic Winter Games for several years now and that this would be his last chance before graduating. "I felt like our friendship was more important than the race, so I decided to just let it go," O'Brien said. D'Abramo said he was also happy to get the chance to compete outside of Whitehorse. "I am really happy to be here, it's quite fun," he said, at the games. Yukon's biathlon coach Nick Marnik said he is proud of the teen for giving up his spot to allow a friend to compete in Alaska. (Cheryl Kawaja/CBC) Coach Nick Marnik said O'Brien's decision was reflective of the teen's character. "We're an individual sport — but there's a biathlon family," Marnik said. "I couldn't have been more proud of him." And D'Abramo ended up doing his team proud as well — winning a silver ulu in the five-kilometre snowshoe biathlon.

Open Water Austria! 🇦🇹 34 k at Woerthersee: We have offered the distance 34 k for the first time this year! The number of participants was limited due to the planned 1:1 accompaniment. Swimmers from different countries registered and took up the challenge! 34 k "No Limit" is a difficult task, since you are not supported by any current in the lake, you have to fight hard for every meter! Also, the wind on the lake changes its direction from time to time and makes it difficult to move forward. Two categories are offered: With and without wetsuit. Beside the solo 34 k, next year a 2-person relay 34 k, will be offered: Two swimmers will alternately master this distance. We are looking forward to the next "Woerthersee-Swim - No Limit"!🏊 https://lnkd.in/dDfkPM_H This year the following participants have taken up the challenge: Left to right: Clark Lauran - GBR Brettenhofer Gerald - Austria Harrigan Kelly - USA Bernt Jonas - Denmark Dagorov Pavel - Switzerland Bednarczyk Grzegorz - Poland Silvia Corsini - Italy "Woerthersee-Swim-Austria", September 6th - 7th, 2024!💙 #woertherseeswim #openwater #openwaterswimming #sport

News from ONETEAM El Salvador - "November set to make history for sport in Central America. For the first time ever, El Salvador will be competing in both International Para Surf and Para Nordic Ski events sanctioned by the International Surf Association and International Ski Federation. "Our privately funded nonprofit introduced para surfing to the country several years ago and now we're going to do the same with para nordic ski racing," says Robert Powers, co-founder along with Sean Colgan of ONETEAMSV.org, he adds, "We have two young men who became paralyzed after being shot in separate incidents by Salvadoran gang members several years ago. Today, instead of being depressed and feeling somewhat helpless, they are pursuing the Olympic/Paralympic Dream and making history for their country." El Salvador has competed in both the Olympic and Paralympics for many years in the summer Games, but, no athlete has ever represented the country in both the summer and winter games - this ONETEAM El Salvador project intends to change this fact and do it with Paralympic athletes. "The International Olympic Committee is well aware of what we are doing and through their sport governing bodies of Surf and Ski we have received wonderful support in establishing our ESA Para Surf and Ski Team," says Powers. To date the effort has been exclusively funded by 5 families. For information on how individuals, businesses and foundations can join these families in supporting the effort please contact: oneteamsv.org New in 2024, over 60 thousand additional funding dollars have been committed by the families to be used as dollar for dollar matching funds for those who can join the effort. Please join us in helping these athletes continue to eliminate barriers while paving the way for inclusion for persons with disabilities here in Central America." ** All donations are tax deductible via our USA 501c3 ONETEAMCF.org or ESA ONG ONETEAMSV.org - both NGO's operate on less than 3% administrative costs annually. Please join our effort and double your contribution today!