BIOGRAPHY:
As a junior, Vermonter Andy Newell was ranked among the top sprinters in the world. Then, upon moving into the senior ranks, Newell began building experience and confidence, and he's gone on to post the best American results internationally—including the first U.S. podium in more than two decades. The 2010 season was a hard fought one for Newell, who still capped things off on a high note when he found himself on a World Cup podium for the third time in his career, taking third place in Norway. He followed his 2010 success with two top-10 finishes at the World Championships in Oslo in 2011.

ANDY SAYS:
The last few seasons have been an amazing step forward for me and my team. For the first time ever, the U.S. cross country ski team has the chance to be on the podium each and every World Cup weekend and it's super exciting to be a part of history and push on my teammates. Although I've been on the podium a few times, my big goal for the 2012 season is to win a World Cup. I've never accomplished this, and I think it would be an amazing feeling to stand on top of the podium at a World Cup event.

FIRST TRACKS:
Newell was skiing by three, racing by five and hasn't stopped since. After moving through Stratton Mountain School and its well-respected cross country program, he produced top-10 results at Junior Worlds as a teenager. He was top-10 in the sprint at Junior Worlds for three straight years, '01-03. He won his first Continental Cup race, a sprint, at Silver Star, B.C., in November 2001 and moved on to clinch a place at his first Olympics.

OFF THE SNOW:
When I'm not training or competing I'm hanging with buddies, skateboarding and working as a carpenter on my cabin in Vermont. As a true adrenaline junky I'm always looking to push the limits in outdoor activity and go fast whether it's on a surfboard, roller skis, or on my 1970 Triumph motorcycle. And I'm really passionate about pushing cross country skiing forward in the U.S., so I work a lot with kids and the New England Ski Association in order to introduce the sport to a new audience.