The SMST2 Team is proud to announce this year’s Gap Grant program to support elite World Cup skiers in their pursuit of excellence on the international stage. This initiative provides financial assistance to unfunded (D Team and non-USST) athletes that qualify to race on the FIS World Cup for any period of time.
Gap Grants were made possible by the generous contribution of an anonymous donor and will be available to SMST2 skiers for the 2024-2025 season. The $50,000 gift will be distributed among select World Cup skiers who have demonstrated a commitment to the SMST2 mission – international excellence and local inspiration.
SMST2 Program Director, Maria Stuber says, “We are going to use this money to directly subsidize World Cup racing expenses for unfunded athletes (USST D Team or non-USST athletes) and to cover some staff and travel expenses associated with the SuperTour so that getting to the World Cup is more accessible. Our hope is that athletes will be able to combine this additional funding with grants from the National Nordic Foundation to have 100% of their World Cup expenses covered in the 2025 World Championship year. Providing this to our skiers has been a long term goal and rolling it out this year is a dream come true”
The SMST2 Team has several Olympians on its Advisory Board who competed for Team USA and worked to cover the cost of racing and support their families.
1984 Olympian and SMST2 Advisory Board Member, Sue (Long) Wemyss stated, “I couldn’t have pursued my ski goals without outside help from acquaintances and family friends who generously chose to donate towards my ski racing campaign. The costs of racing and preparing to reach the highest levels of competition have only sky-rocketed over the decades! The financial support of our most generous anonymous donor will go a long way to enabling some of the U.S.’s most promising skiers to pursue their potential in cross-country skiing.”
Bob Gray, a US Ski Team athlete from 1962 to 1974, and VT native, reflected on his career saying, “Having spent 12 years on the US Ski Team and struggling to compete at the World level it has been inspiring to see the successes of the SMST2 Team! This team is now competing at the highest level in the sport and winning. It brings tears of joy to my eyes! SMST2 includes young skiers just getting started in the sport and gives them a chance to train with the best in the world. Now, these inspired athletes will have enough financing to take more international opportunities. Having the necessary support to devote all of your energy and attention to the task at hand is absolutely necessary.”
Bill Koch, who also sits on the SMST2 Advisory Board, is perhaps the most significant figure in the history of American cross-country skiing, known for both his competitive achievements and contribution to the sport’s evolving technique. Bill was the first and only American prior to Jessie Diggens to win an Olympic medal (1976) or the Overall World Cup title (1982). Bill sees this grant help expedite the development process stating, “To get better at World Cup racing, you need to race on the World Cup. SMS T2’s commitment to support its unfunded athletes and help them get this experience will help expedite their development and raise the bar! It has been a thrill to watch the depth of US skiing explode over the last few years, and making European racing accessible to up-and-comers will help continue this trajectory.”
This initiative reflects the SMST2 Team’s commitment to its mission. SMST2 athletes are training hard and have already started expanding community projects. Gap Grants will ensure that financial barriers do not hinder athletic progress. The SMST2 team is committed to supporting skiers on the world stage, with pride in both the US Team and their club and local community.
About the SMST2 Team:
SMS T2 Team is an elite cross-country ski team based out of Stratton Mountain, Vermont. We were founded in 2012 by a board of local people who believe Vermont to be the best training location in the World and to keep our athletes engaged in the local community. The team’s mission is international excellence and local inspiration. We value collaboration and foster an environment where athletes and coaches work together within the US Ski Team and College system to create development and opportunity for individual athletes.
Our first World Championship medal race was in 2013 when Jessie Diggins surprised the world, winning gold in a team sprint at the Val di Fiemme Championship. Since then, the team has brought home 10 additional Olympic and World Championship Medals, achieved 54 Olympic and World Championship top 10 finishes, 94 regular season World Cup podiums and 1,293 World Cup starts by 22 different skiers.
SMST2 Alumni Andy Newell, Simi Hamilton, and Sophie Caldwell are all generationally significant skiers who helped to blaze this trail. Andy competed on 4 Olympic teams and 9 World Championship teams, landing on the World Cup podium in 2006 as the first American male skier to accomplish this in over 20 years. Simi Hamilton and Sophie Caldwell both ended their careers at SMST2 with World Cup wins and top 10 finishes at the World Championship or Olympics, Simi 9th in 2019 and Sophie 6th, 10th, 6th and 8th in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018 respectively.
In 2018, Jessie Diggins brought home the first Olympic Gold Medal in our sport’s storied history. She solidified herself as the greatest American cross-country skier of all time with a Silver and Bronze in Beijing in 2022. Since then, Jessie has been the first American to win an individual World Championship Gold, and she’s won the Overall World Cup crystal globe and Tour de Ski, both twice.
The success of the SMST2 Team doesn’t look like it’s slowing down anytime soon. Current SMST2 teammates, Julia Kern and Ben Ogden have both been on the World Cup podium in the past 2 years. Julia earned a bronze in the team sprint at the most recent World Championship in 2023 and was in 7 World Cup semifinals in 2024. Ben Ogden was the top U23 skier in the overall World Cup standings in 2023. Lauren Jortberg notched her first World Cup top 20 finish last year and Sydney Palmer-Leger found the top 30 two times. The team racked up 4 individual National Championships and youngsters Ava Thurston and Jack Lang were in the top 10 at the World Junior Championship this year. Eight SMST2 members were named to the 2024-2025 US Ski Team, 5 of which are under 23 years old in a sport where many athletes peak in their 30’s.
The SMST2 Team has long been a dominant force in the world of cross-country skiing, consistently producing world-class athletes who make history. Their enduring success is attributed to a passionate board of directors, a supportive community, rigorous training, the best dryland surfaces in the world, a coaching staff committed to collaboration, and the relentless pursuit of excellence by their athletes. SMST2 athletes are highly engaged in the local community, hosting open workouts, visiting school and youth sporting events, public speaking, and sharing their love of the sport. The SMST2 Team continues to set the standard in cross-country skiing success and community engagement.
Press Release
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