The 50 Most Interesting Athletes: Jessie Diggins

“Jessie’s first tracks came before she could walk, riding in her mom or dad’s backpack as they skied the parks near their Afton, Minnesota home just across the Saint Croix River from Wisconsin.”

“That thinking became so normal that at first, Jessie didn’t see the harm of, say, refusing to eat a white hamburger bun at a picnic. But things spiraled quickly. Right after she graduated high school in 2010, she started making herself throw up, a dangerous eating disorder called bulimia.”

“People: Her husband, family and teammates. They’re always there for her, but sometimes she needs them there with her—and that’s not always easy during high-stakes events where logistics are strict and pre-race mingling difficult. During the 2022 Beijing Games, Jessie knew it would be vital for her to see her boyfriend (now husband) and parents before racing and was able to arrange it.”

“Just like one action led to another and another and a medal and more medals, the same can be true in addressing climate change. What started out for Jessie as a sense of powerlessness—“What can little old me do?”—has turned into a mix of both individual action and larger-scale advocacy through Protect Our Winters.”

“And with 14 individual World Cup victories, she is the most decorated American cross-country skier ever. What’s left to achieve?”

Read entire profile at the50athletes.com