BOSTON, MA (April 14, 2015)—The season has ended. The snow has (mostly) stopped flying and the athletes have scattered across the country to return home for the summer. But Noah Hoffman and Sophie Caldwell took a brief detour to Belmont Hill School in Boston, MA to lead more than 100 young cross country enthusiasts in a dryland training session on Saturday.
In an effort to bring the sport to younger athletes around the country, Hoffman and Caldwell visited the Boston area to show their support of the Weston Ski Track—a new winter training facility for local youths, teams, underprivileged kids, college racers, adults and more.
Hoffman and Caldwell stretch with the athletes. (Jamie Doucett)
“I remember when I was a junior trying to make my way,” said Caldwell. “I hope that we can help inspire these athletes to continue to drive for high performance and enjoy the sport as well.”
Not only are Caldwell and Hoffman emotionally behind the training venue, they also physically showed their support by participating in dryland training with those that utilize the Weston Ski Track throughout the winter. This included the local youths from the Eastern Mass Bill Koch Youth Ski Club—a program that offers cross country skiing for those ages 7-13—and the Cambridge Sports Union Junior Nordic Ski Team—a program for high school students. Even some parents joined in on the dryland fun before the group gathered inside to talk about Caldwell and Hoffman’s experiences traveling the world to pursue the sport they love.
The kids pose with Hoffman and Caldwell after dryland. (Jamie Doucett)
Overall, it was a successful day. “It is remarkable that Weston Ski Track—a small facility in the heart of the Boston area—produces national champions and athletes who can take my place on the national team someday,” said Hoffman. “I am thrilled to help accelerate the training of these athletes, so they can reach their dreams.”
Noah Hoffman and Sophie Caldwell’s visit was made possible by the generous support of Thoughtforms, a prominent Boston area custom builder, and Friends of Leo J Martin Skiing, a local advocacy group. Thoughtforms is the headgear sponsor of Noah Hoffman and an active supporter of youth cross country skiing in Massachusetts.
