Julia Kern, accomplished member of the US Nordic Ski Team, joins the Paradis Sport ambassador program. Kern has been on skis since she could walk. She started skiing when she visited her grandparents in Germany and happily submitted to their bribery by gummy bears at every stopping point. At the age of seven, Kern began to compete.
Kern grew up in Waltham, Massachusetts and skied competitively for the EMXC. She was named to the US Ski Team in 2015, one month before her high school graduation. She decided to go on to Dartmouth College, studied economics, took part in the Nordic ski team, joined the Triathlon Club, and participated in the Dartmouth Outing Club.
During her time at Dartmouth, Kern was able to compete for SMS T2 Team and also for the US Ski Team in World Cup events while still taking classes and having a well-rounded student-athlete experience. In 2019, she was named the US Sprint Champion, placed 5th in a 4x5 relay at World Championships, received a bronze medal for the Sprint Freestyle at the U23 World Championships in Oberwiesenthal, Germany, and received her first World Cup podium in Planica, Slovenia, becoming the youngest American to podium at the World Cup. The COVID19 pandemic followed her successful year of competitions. Nonetheless, Kern continued to train and in 2021 and placed 2nd in Team Sprint with teammate Jessie Diggins at the World Cup in Dresden Germany. Earlier that year, Kern graduated from Dartmouth and decided to continue cross country skiing. In 2022, she competed at the Winter Olympics in Beijing where she placed 18th in the Freestyle Sprint.
In addition to her love of skiing, Kern has a passion for inspiring younger generations. She volunteers with Little Bellas and Fast and Female, two organizations that provide opportunities for girls to be active, healthy, and empowered through sport. She also works with Share Winter Foundation to provide kids with the chance to ski.
When she is not skiing, she finds time for hiking, swimming, surfing, mountain biking, beach volleyball, and shooting hoops. She is fluent in German and travels extensively for skiing and for pleasure. Kern also enjoys working on freelance photography, videography, and design projects. She is the designer for the app Pastimes, which helps build an inclusive outdoor community. Check out some of her awesome work here.
We are stoked to have Julia on board as our newest Paradis Pro!
The women’s skate sprint podium from SuperTour finals (l-r): Ida Sargent (CGRP) in third, Sadie Bjornsen (APU) first, and Julia Kern (SMS T2) second. (Photo: U.S. Ski & Snowboard – Reese Brown)
Sources:
https://home.dartmouth.edu/news/2022/03/life-inside-olympic-zone
