Cridland and Barnett appointed as athlete representatives on XC Committee

Cross country skiers Phoebe Cridland and Adam Barnett are set to formally be appointed as the 2022-2024 athlete representatives on the Snow Australia Cross Country Committee.

The two U23 athletes were elected unopposed to the two-year positions, replace outgoing athlete representives Casey Wright and Nic Blackwell, and will attend their first committee meeting next week.

Cridland and Barnett represented Australia at the World Junior Championships in 2020, with Cridland also racing at the 2022 World U23 Championships in Norway earlier this year.

Both athletes started on the athlete pathway at Interschools, with Sydney-based Cridland representing PLC until year 10 and then SCEGGS, and Melbournian Barnett racing for Auburn Primary School before moving to Carey Baptist Grammar.

Cridland was just 15 years-old when she first qualified for the national team, and over the past seven years has developed strong relationships with all team members and dedicated time to assisting younger athletes who aspire to join the Australian squad.

“I hope to bring to this role a fresh face and perspective on issues that are relevant to the team,” she said.

“I would like to address any feelings of disconnect between athletes and administration, as well as investigate opportunities to improve team professionalism and relationships with brands and companies.”

A member of the Cross Country national team since 2018, Barnett said he has developed great relationships across all levels of the snow community, and his international experiences will greatly benefit him in the role.

“I have developed strong relationships with a range of members of the Australian ski  community over the years, from members of the national team, to developing juniors and broader community  members,” he said.

“My experiences from many overseas trips with the national team and separately have given me insight into how different ski organisations and teams are run and how improvements  could be made to the Australian system.

“With these connections and experiences, I believe I can bring a range of  perspectives from athletes of all categories to my role as an athlete representative.”
Cridland and Barnett join nine other members in the Snow Australia Cross Country Committee, which oversees cross country skiing events, racing, athlete pathways and grassrooots development.