Race Ready21 Sep 2025

Ep. 22 Chris Grover on Building U.S. Skiing Into a World Power

In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan sit down with Chris Grover, longtime U.S. Ski Team coach and current program director for cross-country skiing. Grover shares his perspective on what it takes to bring more World Cup events to the United States, the financial and logistical hurdles behind them, and how climate change and global economics are shaping the international race calendar. From Lake Placid’s 2026 World Cup Finals to new race formats at the Tour de Ski, listeners get a rare look at the forces shaping the future of World Cup skiing.

Grover also reflects on his journey from an Anchorage high school skier to Dartmouth racer, to decades of coaching at Stratton, Sun Valley, and the U.S. Ski Team. Along the way, he highlights the mentors who shaped him, the shift toward a “servant leadership” coaching philosophy, and the importance of building strong support networks for athletes. The conversation dives into the growth of American skiing over the past two decades—from early podium breakthroughs to the U.S. becoming a top-five nation on the World Cup circuit.

Finally, the discussion turns to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Grover shares insights into managing Olympic quota spots, the evolution of national team staffing, and the collaboration between U.S. Ski Team and club coaches across the country. With the looming retirement of Jessie Diggins and the push to develop the next generation, Grover explains what it will take to keep U.S. skiing moving forward. It’s a candid and inspiring conversation about leadership, culture, and the ongoing journey of American cross-country skiing.

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Episoder(52)

S2 E6. Sophia Laukli opens up about why she needed to take a step away from skiing.

After stepping away from the World Cup circuit, missing the Olympic season, and disappearing from competition, Sophia Laukli sits down for an exclusive and remarkably candid conversation on the Race R...

31 Mai 1h 6min

S2 E5. Blood Volume, Burnout & Broken Training Zones

This week on the Race Ready Podcast, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan dive deep into the realities of early summer training. From rebuilding training rhythm after spring downtime to understanding why yo...

24 Mai 1h 2min

S2 E4. Emma Albrecht: From Broken Spine to the World Cup

In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, we sit down with rising American cross-country skier Emma Albrecht to unpack one of the most unique development stories in U.S. skiing right now. From elite-...

17 Mai 59min

S2 E3. Is Hawaii Secretly a Perfect Training Location for XC Skiers?

In this episode of Race Ready, Brian Halligan and Andy Newell answer listener questions centered around one of the most important times of the year for endurance athletes: the transition into summer t...

10 Mai 1h 21min

S2 E2 Zak Ketterson on Why Training Harder Isn’t the Answer.

This episode of the Race Ready Podcast dives deep into the journey of rising U.S. cross-country skier Zak Ketterson, fresh off a breakthrough season that included a top-10 World Cup finish and Olympic...

3 Mai 1h 3min

S2 E1. Stacking Bricks: The Real Path to Success is Consistency

Kick off a new training year with a fresh perspective in this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, where hosts Andy Newell and Brian Halligan dive into the art and science of planning and periodizing en...

26 Apr 1h 10min

Ep. 46 Rest, Reflect, Rebuild: How Much Rest Do Endurance Athletes REALLY Need?

As the season winds down and the energy of World Cup racing fades into spring, this episode of Race Ready captures the unique transition point every endurance athlete knows well. Fresh off a high-ener...

29 Mar 1h 7min

Ep . 45 What Should Skiers Do in March? End-of-Season Training Explained

In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, hosts Andy Newell and Brian Halligan catch up after a busy stretch of international racing, including the World Junior Championships for both biathlon and cr...

15 Mar 58min