Most collegiate athletes settle into a workout routine after graduation, rocking increasingly faded Colby apparel at lifting sessions or on long runs squeezed around work schedules.
Not Erin Bianco ’22.
After a stellar collegiate career as a Nordic skier—culminating in leading a full squad at NCAAs to a 10th-place team finish—she skied last season on two different professional ski teams in Minnesota and Montana, and last week she was rewarded for her hard work by qualifying for the International Ski and Snowboard Federation-sanctioned World Cup. She will represent the United States at the World Cup competition this weekend in Oberhof, Germany, and Jan. 26-28 in Goms, Switzerland.
“In non-Olympic years, this is the highest level of our sport and the highest level of racing you can do,” said Tracey Cote, Colby’s head Nordic ski coach, who noted that a year ago at this time Bianco represented the United States at the FISU World University Games in Lake Placid, N.Y.
“From the World University Games last year to the World Cup this year, that is a really quick progression. There are skiers who will spend many years on a pro team without making it to this level. At every step of skiing, it is very hard to get better. But Erin has done that. She got better in college and she has continued to progress in a really impressive way.”
Bianco qualified for the World Cup based on her performance during the 1.5K sprint competition in the U.S. Cross Country Skiing Nationals Jan. 2-7 at Soldier Hollow, Utah.
Following her dream
For Bianco, who grew up in northern Minnesota, competing in the World Cup is a continuation of a lifelong passion. “I’ve basically been skiing my whole life,” she said. “I loved college skiing so much, and it was a tough decision to continue, especially with a smaller team. But I knew I had to try.”
She joined Team Birkie, based in Ely, Minn., as a professional Nordic skier after graduation. Later, she joined the Bridger Ski Foundation in Bozeman, Mont., her current professional team. Now, instead of balancing classwork, social life, and athletics, Bianco has a singular focus: Get faster.
“With pro life, I have much more time to think about skiing, which can be a bit all-consuming,” she said. “I’m putting everything into it and every decision I make is through the lens of, ‘How am I going to race well?’ And I’m seeing a lot of growth from that.”
“In non-Olympic years, this is the highest level of our sport and the highest level of racing you can do.”
In-season, her training includes weight lifting, plyometric drills, running, biking—and of course, plenty of time on skis. Said Bianco, “You’re much more on your own, with an individualized plan. It’s up to me to make sure I’m showing up every day, rather than relying on my coach and teammates.”
She credits her time at Colby with positioning her for athletic success as a post-grad. “It’s definitely been a learning experience for me to focus so much on skiing as a professional athlete, and I feel like the jumps I’ve made come from the years of training at Colby and the confidence I gained on the team,” she said. “Colby was such an amazing time in my life, and I developed so much as a skier and as a person.”
Cote said Bianco’s success reflects the growth and standing of Colby’s cross-country ski program, which this weekend hosts the Colby Carnival at Quarry Roads Trails in Waterville. “It shows that you can be in our program, you can get better, and you can be in a position to ski after college. That says a lot about our program,” she said. “We are now getting to a point where we are not only making an impact in college skiing, but in the broader world of skiing.”
Just as important, it also shows that Colby skiers are enjoying themselves. “A big part of staying in skiing is having fun with it and being in a good team culture,” Cote said. “The fact that our skiers leave here and are still excited about skiing is really significant.”
For Bianco, skiing is when she’s happiest—whether at Colby or on the World Cup stage. “I’m really glad I chose to continue. There’s been so much opportunity for growth,” she said. “Obviously there are tough days, but for the most part, skiing is this escape where I can get into a rhythm and flow. I feel so much more confident and comfortable when I’m skiing.”
Jacqueline Núñez, Carol Swann-Daniels, Jane Powers, and Paula Lunder will be honored
Pediatric oncologist Dr. Loren Walensky isn’t a Colby alum, but since 2005 he’s hosted students and young alumni in his award-winning Dana-Farber lab
Yannik Büchi ’17 double majored in French and biology, and today he’s a full-stack software developer at real estate startup Upright
Artist Steven Weinberg ’06 takes an interdisciplinary approach to his children’s books
Laney Brown ’90, a senior executive with Avangrid, returns to campus to lead a Jan Plan course about sustainability in the energy sector
