With nine U.S. Junior titles and three Minnesota State Championships titles, Jessie Diggins decided to take a year off between high school and college to focus on racing. That leap of faith continues to pay dividends today, as she landed a spot on the U.S. Ski Team and has become one of the best female skiers the U.S. has ever seen.

The 2013 season was a monster for Diggins. The five-time U.S. Champion teamed up with teammate Kikkan Randall to win the USA’s first-ever World Championships gold medal in the team sprint as well as the first-ever victory in a World Cup team sprint. When she wasn’t making history, Diggins was putting up more impressive results, finishing 8th in the skate prologue of the World Cup finals and placing 21st in her first-ever Tour de Ski.

Still a young competitor, Diggins’ resume is nothing to shrug at. In 2011, the Minnesotan stormed the competitive ranks, sweeping the four Marriot Junior Championships, winning her first U.S. title and skiing in her first World Championships. She was just getting started, because in 2012 she swept all four titles at U.S. Championships and then scored in eight straight World Cup events, all during her first full season on the circuit.

Diggins has already proved that her chemistry with the team can help land them on the podium, so as Sochi 2014 rolls around, eyes will be on the Diggins-Randall pair to bring home the USA’s first women’s Nordic medals.

JESSIE SAYS
The season was a great success in many different respects. The season started with a bang when we got on the podium in the 4x5k relay with a third place, and getting to anchor that relay and celebrate reaching a big goal with my teammates was something I'll never forget. One of the coolest things this year was being part of a team that stuck together through months on the road, grueling races and busy travel schedules, and had a great time through it all. It was so fun to have such a strong and supportive team, coaches, and wax staff!

World Championships marked another high point in the season with Kikkan [Randall] and I winning the first-ever gold medal for cross country in the team sprint. Earlier in the year we won the first team sprint in a World Cup. Individual highlights for me were an 8th place in the skate prologue at World Cup finals, a 12th place in the 5km skate in Kuusamo and 21st in the Tour de Ski. Racing the Tour de Ski for the first time was such a blast, and completing such a challenging race series was really fun.

FIRST TRACKS
With a family that loved being active and outdoors, Diggins joined the Minnesota Youth Ski League when she was three. She started by just skiing with friends on Sundays but gradually expanded to every day of the week as she joined the high school ski team and then CXC.

OFF THE SNOW
When she's not skiing, Jessie loves to be active in other ways, like hiking, camping, running, swimming, dancing or playing pick-up soccer games. She likes to read, is learning to play guitar and she loves artsy-crafty projects.