A lot has happened in the past few days! I had the chance to watch the Women’s Mass Start 60 and cheer on all the athletes climbing the toughest hill of the course. It’s easy to forget how much fun cheering can be—especially knowing you’re giving someone that extra boost when they need it most. While it was tough not to be racing myself, it was inspiring to watch the best in the world battle it out for the top spot. That’s not something I get to see often, as I’m usually in the middle of the pack, focused on my own race.

Yesterday marked the second sprint race, identical to the first race day earlier in the week. I felt like I found my rhythm on the shooting range, which was a great step forward. The weather was warm and sunny, much like during the mass start, but the heat took its toll on the snow. Skiing conditions became a bit sticky, making those long climbs especially challenging, especially as fatigue set in toward the end of the race.

Overall, it felt good to wrap up the week with a solid race. I learned from my first sprint and came into this one better prepared. Of course, not everything always goes exactly as planned even when I’m feeling strong, but I’m grateful for the moments when everything works out well.

The Sprint 7.5k in Jakuszyce marked the end of the Junior Cup season. Today, we traveled three hours to Altenberg, Germany, where we’ll compete at the Junior Open European Championships (JOECH). Team USA is staying just across the Czech border, at a cozy golf club surrounded by ski trails that is only a mile from the venue. Today was also our final rest day before a packed schedule of training and racing over the next week.

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up:

1/21: Official Training—final race prep and ski testing

1/22: Individual 12.5k—four shooting stages (20 shots), with 60 seconds added for every missed shot (no penalty loops)

1/23: Official Training—rest and race prep

1/24: Single Mixed Relay or Mixed Relay

1/25: Sprint 7.5k

1/26: Mass Start 60—qualification dependent on the sprint the day before

Thank you so much for following along and supporting me. Your encouragement means the world as I take on this next week of racing. Let’s see what Altenberg has in store!