Neve Gerard, representing the Mount Bachelor Ski Education Foundation, was shining bright at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games. A senior from Bend High, she secured numerous top-20 finishes for Team USA at the Youth Olympics held in South Korea. Starting with this athletic sport in her early days, Gerard is now exquisitely balancing school, team, and nonprofit skiing.
Spending 10 days in Gangwon, South Korea, she took to reflect on her entire journey and credits her family and her birthplace, Central Oregon, for venturing into her passion for Nordic skiing. And, as she aspires to become an Olympian, she is gearing up for the competition ahead.
Gerard talks about going Nordic skiing with family
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Post her phenomenal stint at the 2024 Youth Olympic Games, Neve Gerard took to reflect on her journey in an exclusive interview with Dylan Anderman. Talking about the roots of her passion for Nordic skiing, she reflected on how she has gradually built it over the years. As mentioned in the video, while Gerard grew up in the mountains of Oregon, it took her some time to find her passion.
Gerard remarks, “I did a little bit of Nordic skiing with my family, but it wasn’t something I was super into. It was fun, but it wasn’t my favorite thing in the world.” But, over the course, Gerard has come a long way, building her passion, interest, and proficiency in the sport. Talking about Nordic skiing, she adds, “Nordic skiing means a lot to me. It’s my favorite community and like my favorite people. And I love just like the training and like being out in the snow with my friends and my coaches and like setting goals and achieving them.”
At the YOG 2024, she came in 6th in the Women’s 7.5K Classic, just 12.8 seconds shy of the podium. Not only she represented her high school Bend High, and the Bend Nordic Ski Team, but she also took strides for the non-profit snow sports program, MBSEF. At MBSEF, she is coached by Reitler Hodger, who is extremely proud of her recent wins. They started MBSEF four years ago, when Gerard initiated her high school career, going to competitions together since then.
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Gerard discusses future plans
Neve Gerard also secured the 17th position in the freestyle sprint. She contributed to Team USA’s 5th-place finish in the mixed 4x5K team relay. Not only this, she delivered the third-fastest leg of the day in the relay event. After her notable achievements and her prowess in Nordic skiing, she intends to continue her athletic journey at the University of Utah as part of its Nordic Ski Team in the fall of this year.
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Furthermore, she will be skiing in three weeks again with Ben High at the state championships initiating on February 23rd at Mount Batchelor. These reflect her growing passion for Nordic skiing as she continues to pursue the dreams of Olympic glory.
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