Julia Kern On 50 MPH Roller Skiing | Team USA | FULL INTERVIEW

Описание: American cross-country skier Julia Kern breaks down the intensity and discipline required for her sport while looking ahead to a more normal Olympic experience in Italy. After competing at the COVID-restricted Beijing Olympics, Julia is excited to race at the iconic Cortina venue where Team USA competes regularly—the site of the Tour de Ski, cross-country's version of the Tour de France featuring 6-7 races in 9 days. She admits she's relieved they don't have to do the famous alpine hill climb at the Olympics, but the venue's history makes it special.

Julia explains that many people don't realize how demanding cross-country skiing really is. Racers hit up to 50 MPH on courses, and she believes most cross-country skiers are more Type A than people realize—you need serious discipline to put in 3-5 hours of training on rainy, cold days. Their primary training method is roller skiing (essentially longer rollerblades with poles), which she does almost every day. It's a great full-body workout that uniquely mimics the sport, but there's one terrifying catch: no brakes. Most roller skiing happens on roads with cars, making it high-risk training.

Beyond competition, Julia is passionate about programs like Little Bellas that inspire young girls to get into sports, visiting chapters yearly to bike with fearless young athletes.

0:00 - Introduction
0:10 - Looking forward to normal Olympic experience
0:29 - Summer training: Where hard work happens
0:40 - Roller skiing: No brakes, high risk
1:09 - Cross training that mimics the sport
1:35 - Racing at a familiar venue
2:06 - Venue steeped in ski history
2:40 - Little Bellas and inspiring young girls
3:26 - Fearless young athletes
3:42 - Phone background: Boyfriend on the road