I have been a member of the USBA Board of Directors since 2009: eight years as an elected athlete representative and since then as an appointed director. Although I am now 15 years beyond my last international competition as a biathlete or a Nordic skier, I continue to prioritize the athlete’s perspective. As I told Max Cobb when I originally transitioned Board roles, I am eager to serve for as long as I can be of service to the organization that supported me as an athlete.

Although I share our communal goal of winning the first American medal in biathlon, it is even more important to me that our path be ethical, cooperative, and as transparent as possible. Competing and representing our country on the international stage is a privilege that must be earned, and not all athletes in our sport will attain that level of success. However, I believe that it is a RIGHT for all athletes to be able to compete and train in a safe and respectful environment, which is why I volunteered to serve on the Health and Safety Taskforce. We are making good progress, but there is more work to be done. There always will be.

Other priorities for me include open and transparent communication. All athletes, staff, and volunteers should understand the reasoning behind decisions that affect them directly and should be comfortable asking for clarification if they do not understand. I think the USBA has done a good job of balancing objective and discretionary criteria, so that all aspiring competitors understand the path forward.  Over the course of my tenure, I have seen communication within the organization both improve and decline. When things are going well, it is easy to assume that everyone is on the same page, and frequent communication tends to drop off.  When communication declines, things become less smooth, and problems arise. We need to be vigilant and remember to always put the effort into keeping communication channels open.

Finally, the USBA consists of a great group of athletes, staff, and volunteers. I have enjoyed competing and volunteering with this group and would be honored to continue to give back to the sport and community via an elected position on the Board. 

- Sarah Konrad

Why I love Biathlon:

Biathlon is a cool sport to talk about, participate in and spectate.  Where else do you have the juxtaposition of going all out to suddenly stop, focus, and fire.  If you can’t shoot straight, it’s anybody’s race which keeps the events dynamic, high energy, and exciting.

Why I want to be involved:

Biathlon is the most televised and spectated winter sport in Europe, yet in the States it’s the only winter sport the US hasn’t earned a medal in the Olympics.  In the US, it’s everyone’s favorite sport to watch but they really don’t know much about . . . I love that we are an unassuming underdog and possess all the right ingredients to disrupt the Biathlon sports world with just few minor pivots and refocusing - and I don’t want to miss a thing!  

How I can help:

What we’ve done in the past hasn’t delivered the desired results, and I believe that new leadership that can bring best in class strategies from other disciplines is exactly what the sport needs.  I think Biathlon has a branding, identity, and awareness challenge that I’d love to help with.  I’m a storyteller, and this narrative is rich with historical context, relevant gun awareness conversations, underdog heroics, and a coolness that transcends most other sports.  With a tighter message we can recruit the right sponsors and influencers to develop best in class training, nutrition, and compensation programs for our athletes to rise to the top of the podium and write a new chapter for U.S. Biathlon.  

Let’s do this!

-J