Race Ready28 Des 2025

Ep. 36 Gary Chambers: The Master's Perspective

In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, Brian Halligan and Andy Newell sit down with Gary Chambers, a fourth-generation Alberta grain farmer, CANSkI Level 4 instructor, Alberta Masters Association director, and Masters World Cup competitor to explore what makes masters skiing such a powerful and often overlooked part of the Nordic community. From Norway’s participation culture to North America’s event landscape, Gary offers a big-picture perspective on how masters racing thrives when community, mentorship, and meaningful competition intersect .

The conversation dives deep into the realities of masters training: balancing family, careers, physical labor, and recovery while still chasing performance. Gary shares insights on why learning to ski fast (regardless of race goal) can unlock better technique, confidence, and enjoyment on snow. He and Andy unpack common masters training pitfalls, including over-reliance on volume, fear of speed, and the challenge of adapting recovery and intensity as athletes age, all while emphasizing that masters deserve to be treated as serious athletes, not handled with “kid gloves” .

The episode closes with a forward-looking discussion on mentorship, cross-generation integration, and the role masters athletes can play in sustaining the sport. From supporting youth programs to showing up at start lines alongside elite athletes, Gary makes a compelling case that Nordic skiing is strongest when it refuses to operate in silos. The upcoming 2029 Masters World Cup in Canmore becomes a symbol of that vision, a homecoming where competition, camaraderie, and lifelong passion for skiing all meet on the same start line.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(75)

S2 E29: Adam St. Pierre on The Evolving Landscape of Skiing Development

What separates a good junior skier from a great collegiate athlete? This week on the Race Ready Podcast, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan sit down with Adam St. Pierre, head coach of the Montana State U...

8 Nov 1h 7min

s2 e28: Why the Same Training Doesn't Work for Everyone

Why can two athletes follow the exact same training plan and get completely different results? In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan reflect on 30 weeks of training...

1 Nov 1h 9min

S2 E27: Will Koch on What It Really Takes to Become an Elite Athlete

In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan sit down with Will Koch, former U.S. Ski Team member, accomplished international cross-country skier, and son of Olympic medal...

25 Okt 1h 4min

S2 E26: Dr. Stephen Seiler on VO₂ Max, Polarized Training & the Perfect Workout

What does it actually take to become a faster endurance athlete? This week on Race Ready, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan sit down with one of the most influential minds in endurance sports science, Dr...

18 Okt 1h 15min

S2 E25: The VO₂ Max Sweet Spot: Finding Your Perfect Intensity

Are you getting the most out of your high-intensity intervals, or are you going too hard? In this episode of Race Ready, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan dive into the science and execution of L4 traini...

11 Okt 1h 5min

S2 E24. Gus Schumacher on Training Smarter, Racing Faster & Olympic Silver

Olympic silver medalist Gus Schumacher joins Race Ready to break down the training, racing, and lessons that have shaped his progression into one of the best cross-country skiers in the world. Gus tak...

4 Okt 1h 5min

S2E23. The USSS Development Watershed w/ Lizzie Larkins

What does it actually take to develop the next generation of American cross-country skiers? U.S. Ski Team Development Coach Lizzie Larkins joins Andy to break down the current development system, from...

27 Sep 1h 9min

S2 E22: Dani Aravich's Unconventional Path to Elite Endurance Sport

Dani Aravich’s path to becoming a three-time Paralympian is anything but conventional. After walking away from Division I running, Dani built a career in professional sports before a conversation abou...

20 Sep 1h 16min