Annika Landis: Summer Training as a New Member of the GRP

Hello! My name is Annika and I am the newest member of GRP Ski! Let me introduce myself a little before jumping into what the team has been up to this summer. 

I was born in Hailey, Idaho and grew up skiing for the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation. At first I wasn’t that sold on the whole “racing” aspect of skiing. I liked the more fun and social aspects of the ski team, like game day, obstacle courses, and finding deer carcasses buried in the snow that I would try to sneak home past whatever unsuspecting parent was driving the carpool. But after winning a few races that I was grudgingly convinced to do, I decided racing was fun too. Funny how winning can do that.   

Competing in an obstacle course in Sun Valley 

Showing off my medals and my fashionable Old Navy matching fleece sweatsuit 

Competing in my first Boulder Mountain Tour 30k with my dad in 2009 (age 11) 

Long story short I ended up getting hooked, fast, even if I didn’t keep up my winning streak. Despite the usual ups and downs of growing up and ski racing at the same time, I decided I wanted to continue racing in college and hopefully beyond. I ended up choosing to attend Middlebury College, which was one of the better decisions I made in developing my skiing and my love for the sport. The team and the coaches were amazing and I became undeniably enamored with Vermont. 

Carnival racing in Craftsbury with former Middlebury, and current GRP Teammate Alex Lawson. [Former UVM “rival” turned GRP teammate Margie Freed can be seen just behind us! ] 

After having my final NCAA Championships in Bozeman cut short due to Covid-19, I shifted my focus on the next chapter. I joined the XC Gold Team for the 2020-2021 “season” but things didn’t quite click for me and after much deliberation, I decided I needed a fresh experience. Feeling nostalgic for Vermont and hearing glowing reviews from past and current athletes, I joined the Craftsbury GRP. In May, less than a month after committing officially to the GRP, I was driving across the country, filled with a mixture of excitement and some apprehension. My first week in Elinor’s was a bit of an adjustment, but as more skiers and rowers began to arrive back to the Center, I felt warmly welcomed. As an introverted and somewhat timid social interloper, I am not sure how to quite express what a relief it was to feel easily enveloped into the Craftsbury community. I think this is a testament to just how much the athletes, staff, coaches, and visitors buy into a common kindness, and shared investment and trust in each other. 

Raleigh showing me the fastest way to the center from Elinor’s 

I found this especially true when within a week of arriving I was entrusted with the Zero-Turn mower, despite having no experience with a riding mower and no verifiable credentials other than my word that I could “figure it out.” I also quickly jumped into gardening which has been a rewarding experience, especially when I see the food I helped grow being served in the dining hall. 

Multitasking: Using the Zero-Turn to commute to the roller loop after giving the Elinor’s Lawn a crisp mow. 

One of many harvests from Elinor’s Garden, the potatoes were a non-negotiable for me! 

Other non-training summer highlights so far include the concerts in the Common and finding huge moths while picking apples for cider pressing. 

The team enjoys a relaxing evening of music on the Common 

The Hyalophora cecropia, or the cecropia moth is the largest moth in North America. 

After a brief adjustment period to a new training group and a different approach, I found myself thoroughly enjoying skiing, running, and biking in new places around Craftsbury. It’s also hard to not enjoy training when you are greeted each morning with a cheerful “hello sunshines” from Pepa. This softens the introduction of whatever suffering she plans to subject us to that day. 

Team run with a view!

The GRP has also been lucky to put on a bib in a few races and give our summer fitness a test.

Our first ‘race’ was the Lost Nation Rollerski Race, put on by NENSA. I personally did not have exactly the race I wanted but it felt good to go hard in an official setting and it was pretty cool to have a big group of ladies out there hammering. 

Next up for me was the Standhope 30k, a running race in Idaho that I was able to enter late after deciding to take a somewhat spontaneous visit home. The race was a gruelling 5300’ of climbing over rough and sometimes nonexistent trail. I was thrilled to end up placing third overall, winning for women, and setting a personal best time. I was less thrilled to lose my breakfast at the finish. 

The GRP’s most recent challenge was the Race to the Top of Vermont. Having only been to the top of Mount Mansfield once, I was only slightly prepared for the gruelling 4 mile race. Lucky for me, I have some really fast teammates I got to chase up the steep grade. All of these races reminded me how privileged and lucky we are to be able to do the thing we love everyday and it makes me feel even more motivated when I put on a bib to give my best effort. 

That pretty much brings us to today, which happens to be taking place in Oberhof, Germany, where the team is currently cruising through a speed camp. We are working on a fun update for you so stay tuned!