AUS XC successfully delivers summer development camps

The AUS XC program recently wrapped up a development camp series organised in Mt Beauty, VIC (5-6 December) and Jindabyne, NSW (12-13 December) to bring the best junior skiers in the country together for some quality group training. State team athletes were also invited to join in with the National Junior team and coaches. 

Australian Cross-country skiing team Head Coach Valerio Leccardi said one of the goals of the camps was to keep the athletes focussed and motivated for the summer in Australia, a period when in normal circumstances they would be training and competing overseas.

“The athletes haven’t been training together for a while now, so it’s good for them to train in a group and work on the basic things, like balance and glides. It’s good to get them back to thinking about skiing, even though skiing is far away at the moment.”

National Junior Team athlete Bentley Walker-Broose said the vibe in the camps has been very good and athletes enjoyed the opportunity to come together for some team dryland training after focusing mostly on individual sessions.

“It’s really good to have such a diverse group of athletes together, working on different things and figuring out each other’s skills and strengths,” Walker-Broose said.

His teammate Rosie Fordham echoed the sentiment and also appreciated the variety of the approach taken by the coaches.

“For example we’ve spent this morning doing an interval session and a bit of hill bounding and then a nice little race which was a good taster since we can’t go overseas and race. 

“In the afternoon we came back for an education session and then into the gym for some strength, agility and some imitation. So a little bit of everything. It was a really nice camp,” Fordham said.

The camps were made possible by the generous contribution of energy provider AGL, whose community partnership traditionally provides athletes scholarships through the Kangaroo Hoppet, Australia’s premier Cross-country skiing event held at the end of August in Falls Creek, VIC. With the Hoppet becoming a virtual event in 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak, it was decided to donate the money to Snow Australia to help fund summer athlete development initiatives instead.

The next big appointment on the Cross-country skiing summer schedule is the first FIS rollerski event in Canberra, with races scheduled on 16-17 January. After the event, the National Team will remain in Canberra for a five-day training camp hosted by the Australian Institute of Sport.