First-ever US Women’s Ski Jumping Team Documents Training in Web Series REFUEL USA By Got Milk

Women’s Ski Jumping USA is composed of seven extraordinary women who are making history. This team of inspirational athletes bonded over their passion for flight and because of their influence, for the first time, women are able to compete at the highest level in the sport. The Sports Techie community blog is excited to share a sports tech centric part of the story about these pioneering women drink chocolate milk to help fly the length of a football field on a snow covered ramp in excess of 60 miles per hour down mountains as they prepare and train for Sochi. The XXII Olympic Winter Games, or the 22nd Winter Olympics, are scheduled to take place February 6^th – 23^rd, 2014 on the NBC Sports Network.

The Seven

The seven who make up this history-making team are Sarah Hendrickson, Lindsey Van, Jessica Jerome, Abby Hughes, Alissa Johnson, Nina Lussi, and Nita Englund. These ladies have dreams of being the best in the world at ski jumping’s “V-Shape” flight.

REFUEL USA

In the third episode of the REFUEL USA documentary series, check out the Women’s Ski Jumping team in action before they head to Russia for the big games. Abby Hughes, Jessica Jerome, Lindsey Van, Nina Lussi and Alissa Johnson are upping the ante in the final month of training. For years, they haven’t been able to participate alongside their male counterparts on sport’s biggest stage but now they’re ready to prove themselves to the world.

Women’s Ski Jumping Team: Built to Inspire

The Three

The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association announced the nomination of seven ski jumping athletes Wednesday afternoon during a press conference at Utah Olympic Park, the site of the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for ski jumping. All nominations are subject to approval by the U.S. Olympic Committee.

According to Luke Bodensteiner, Executive Vice President, Athletics, USSA, “Today marks an historic occasion. This is a stepping stone along what has been a long journey to include women’s ski jumping in the Games. These women have raised the level of athleticism in the sport and because of this, grown their sport to the Olympic level.”

Women’s Ski Jumping Team USA

Sarah Hendrickson, Park City, UT (8/1/1994)
Jessica Jerome, Park City, UT (2/8/1987)
Lindsey Van, Park City, UT (11/27/1984)

The 2014 Olympic Winter Games mark the first time women’s ski jumping will be contested at the Olympic level. World Champions Lindsey Van, who played a pivotal role in getting the sport into the Olympics for women, and Sarah Hendrickson, who was selected after a promising return to snow following a knee injury, will be a part of the first-ever women’s ski jumping team at the Olympic Winter Games along with Olympic Trials winner Jessica Jerome.

Alan Alborn, Women’s Ski Jumping Head Coach said, “This inaugural Olympic women’s ski jumping team has already inspired so many people around the world and will continue to do so for years to come. They are strong athletes and strong individuals because of the challenges and hardships they have faced both in the sport and outside of it. They have built this path to the Olympic Games brick-by-brick and they have done most of the heavy lifting.”

Women’s Ski Jumping USA, a nonprofit, is the primary support organization for the U.S. National Team. With the help of a small staff and lots of generous volunteers, the organization runs the U.S. women’s ski jumping program and raises the necessary funds to pay for coaching, travel, training, equipment and a junior developmental program.

Sarah Hendrickson – Sports Techie Spirit

A late August injury by Sarah Hendrickson caused her to have a total knee reconstruction; it blew her ACL completely, tore the MCL off bone and damaged 80 percent of her meniscus. Sponsors are necessary for athletes such as Sarah and the rest of her teammates in order to train, travel and enter events so we are happy to see REFUEL USA do their part by sponsoring these inspiring American athletes.

Bodensteiner said, “Sarah has distinguished herself over the past three seasons as one of the world’s top competitors. Her accident in August prevented her from competing in the World Cup, but her subsequent rehab was effective, she’s maintained a high level of fitness and her return to the jumping hill has shown us that she’s ready to compete at the top end of her sport.”

Team USANA Prepares for Sochi 2014: Sarah Hendrickson | USANA Video

Understanding Sarah was only 17-year old when exploded on the ski jump scene, I sense the Sports Techie spirit is stronger than ever in her as Sochi approaches.

Science of the Winter Olympics – Ski Jumping

The Science behind ski jumping compliments the implementation of technological advancements helping to surge the sport ahead with better ski jump gear, ramps, training facilitates and performance techniques.

Sochi 2014

The Sochi Winter Olympics Russki Gorkie Ski Jumping Center holds 10,000 fans and was designed by International experts to withstand gusts of winds and be harmonious with the Caucasus mountain landscape. The 95-meter and 125-meter jumps have undergone testing and are ready to perform as are the women Olympic ski jump athletes from all over the world for the very first time in Olympics history.

Team USA Ski Jump Gear

My research came up with the costs for Team USA ski jumping boots, suits, skis, and bindings and it was not nearly as cost prohibitive as I thought it might be. Boots are under $495, JR boots are half the cost. Ski cost ranges from $220 to $490.

Ski Jump Insurance

It makes sense to make sure you have proper insurance if you want to practice ski jumping on your own. In 2011, Team Canada took out $5 million worth of ski sports insurance. With the inclusion of the sport of ski jumping in the 2014 Olympic Games these numbers are sure to rise so check with your local National Governing Body for more details.

Team USA Men’s Ski Jumping Team

Men’s Olympic Trials winner Nick Fairall will headline the team along with three teammates who have previously competed at the Games. The formal naming of the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team by the United States Olympic Committee is set for Jan. 27.

Men’s Ski Jumping

Nick Alexander, Lebanon, NH (8/24/1988) *
Nick Fairall, Andover, NH (7/6/1989)
Peter Frenette, Saranac Lake, NY (2/24/1992) *
Anders Johnson, Park City, UT (4/23/1989) *

* Competed in past Olympics

Clint Jones, Men’s Ski Jumping Head Coach says, “There is a solid amount of experience on this team considering how young they are. The oldest team member, Nick Alexander, is only 24. However, I feel that we still haven’t seen the best jumps from any of our young team members, and I am looking forward to seeing them step up their game in Sochi and in the years to come.” 

Got Milk

A previous Sports Techie blog about Got Milk can be read here – Refuel ‘Got Chocolate Milk? cameras follow Hines Ward IRONMAN webisodes in partnership with CAF

Got Chocolate Milk Expert – Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, MA, RD, Doctor of Public Health, Nutrition Consultant and Author, was asked: How do you emphasize the importance of recovery to your athletes?

Dr, Bazilian answered that , “The essence of recovery isn’t just about now—it’s about later and tomorrow.
Sports nutrition is about what, when, and how much to eat before, during and after exercise to maximize performance. Recovery is all about replenishing, rebuilding, and rehydrating the body so you feel great and can do it again! Train, perform, excel, recover and do it again—and maybe even do it better each time!”

Got Chocolate Milk Social Media Network

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Sports Techie, The sport of ski jumping is entering a new age because women are now in it to win it, just like men. Bodensteiner said, “This inaugural event is more than just three medals at an Olympic Winter Games. It is historic and a legacy that we hope will inspire more young women to engage in sport and have it be part of their lives and their family’s lives.”

The Olympic way of excellence, friendship and respect transcends sports and has filtered into ski jumping athletes dealings with the media and politics. The dangers of traveling to Sochi have been well documented after the bombings in Volgograd that killed 3o people and the recent terrorist videos and threats made to Russia, Sochi and its Olympic allies. The Russian counter-terrorism agency in place believe that these games are secure so the games go on as they should. The U.S. government is asking Russia for more data, let’s hope they make it so. I blogged about terrorism after the Boston Marathon bombings and hope to never have to do that again.

The compelling stories we will remember from Sochi like the ice hockey gold medal quest, the 12 new events and the very first ski jumping competition for women, will all be good for the soul and heart. Having the courage, commitment and love of sport is why the Women’s Ski Jumping Team USA and role model athletes like Sarah Hendrickson, Jessica Jerome, Park City and Lindsey Van, sponsored by REFUEL USA, all have the Sports Techie spirit. Young Sports Techie girls across the United States and all over the globe now have women ski jump role models to watch on their smartphones and tablets and can emulate them while practicing their skiing skills on mountain sides or on dry land.

NBC is broadcasting the Sochi winter games in real-time with no time delay like at the London 2012 summer games so be ready with your computer, TV and mobile devices because watching these digital Winter Olympics with a second screen is how it was meant to be. Ski jumping stats are the name of the game.

May the perfect “V Shape” flight and proper chocolate milk recovery regime win someone on Team USA’s women’s ski jumping team an Olympic gold, silver or bronze individual medal.

I will see ya when I see ya, THE Sports Techie @THESportsTechie – http://twitter.com/THESportsTechie

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