Balancing Act

Overview:

Bend High School Graduate and elite skier talks with the source about balancing her training, school and social life.

Learning to balance on one ski and shift to the other has taught Neve Gerard more than just how to race — it’s become a metaphor for managing her demanding life. A Bend High School graduate, she is an award-winning skier whose accolades include representing the United States at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics and the International Ski and Snowboard Federation Junior World Ski Championships, placing 12^th in the 10k freestyle. She was preparing for six weeks of sea-level training in Vermont when we spoke. A sophomore at the University of Utah majoring in international studies with a business minor, Gerard follows an intense training regimen that leaves little time for the typical college experience.

In her first season with the University of Utah, Neve had six starts with four finishes in the top-10. *Courtesy: Neve Gerard*

the Source: Do you get to come back often to Bend?

Neve Gerard: Not really, with my schedule. I came back for five or six days over Christmas to see family, which was really nice. But winter break was two weeks, and I wasn’t able to be here most of it because of racing. This spring, I chose to not go to some races and came home over spring break instead, which was much needed — a little reset.

tS: You’re going to Vermont for six weeks. Is that part of your training?

Gerard:  I’m joining a club team out there. In the summer, NCAA skiers can’t really be coached by their school coach, so we all go to different summer programs. I’m going to Vermont to do sea level training, and then I’ll start school.

tS: Is there anything special about sea level training in your field?

Gerard: You can really work on developing higher speed, and it’s really good for recovery. I think it could be beneficial for me, because the races that I’m targeting this year happen to be at sea level.

tS: What kind of skills would you say people should hone when cross-country skiing?

Gerard: A big part of skiing is balance. You have to be able to balance on one ski and then shift your balance to the other ski. And then endurance is a main piece. I used to mountain bike race and cross-country run, and those things transfer over so well because it’s an endurance-based sport. Strength is another piece. Skiing is becoming more and more of a strength-based sport, a power-based sport.

tS: What do you think is driving that change?

Gerard: I think people are just getting faster and faster on an international level, especially for the men. Sprinting is becoming more explosive. We do sprints and distance work.

tS: How about mobility? Do you need to keep yourself flexible?

Gerard: Mobility has had a big push in U.S. skiing recently. The coaches are always trying to make us more mobile and focus on our recovery more. Recovery is a huge piece of training. It’s often overlooked by young athletes, such as myself, who are going to school and trying to balance all these things.

tS: How do you handle all that pressure?

Gerard: Most of the pressure I feel is placed on me by myself. At the end of the day, I just have to remember that it’s just a ski race. It’s not the end of the world. I think especially now with everything going on in the world, I feel so insignificant. I get to do this, and training is fun.

tS: What advice would you give a younger person who’s getting frustrated in sports?

Gerard: It doesn’t matter who’s the best when you’re 12; you don’t have to be the best when you’re younger. I was not very good at skiing when I was younger. Everyone develops at a different rate. If you’re working hard and you really love it and stick to it, it’s gonna happen.

Freestyle cross-country skiing, also known as skate skiing, is a technique where skiers propel themselves forward using a skating motion, similar to ice skating.  *Courtesy: Neve Gerard*

tS: It must be hard to stay motivated sometimes. Have you ever had to train in challenging conditions?

Gerard: One day we were roller skiing up Immigration Canyon in Salt Lake City. It was November, shoulder season — not enough snow to ski but we’re still roller skiing. There was a really bad car accident on one of the passes, so they closed it and people had to use Immigration Canyon to get to work. It was 8 a.m. during training, and there were so many cars flying past us. The road was getting narrower because of snow creeping in on the edges. We were roller skiing through the snow with our wheels, and we were thinking, “I think we should probably turn around. This isn’t a good idea.” That was one of the harder training days that stands out.

tS: What are your plans for dealing with all the pressure in the upcoming school year?

Gerard: I’d love to balance school and training better. I need to get better at that triangle balance. The coaches talk about the student-athlete triangle, where you have social life, training and school. I feel I’m lacking in the social life area. I’m gonna work on that piece for sure. I think I’m gonna improve all areas of that triangle.

This article appears in the Source August 28, 2025.