As a nordic combined athlete, reigning U.S. national champion, King’s Cup winner and Olympian, Bryan Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, CO) definitely knows how to fight. What fewer people know is that Fletcher had to develop these skills early in life: when he battled Leukemia from age three onwards.

This summer, Fletcher and other childhood cancer survivors founded the charity ccThrive. ccThrive’s mission is to build awareness that childhood cancer survivors can thrive by providing visibility to high profile childhood cancer survivors performing at top levels to demonstrate that survivorship is not necessarily defined by diminished physical and cognitive capacities.

For the 29-year-old, it was his disease that also made him grow into what he is today: a world-class nordic combined athlete.

"It was this diagnosis that started my amazing journey as a Nordic Combined athlete. While still battling cancer, I was introduced to the world of ski jumping and nordic combined by some influential people in the sport," remembered Fletcher. "I would divide my time between chemo treatments and the sport, which helped to keep my spirits alive. I would spend two weeks in Denver undergoing treatments and a week in Steamboat, throwing my body off a jump and into the air. Ultimately, this helped me to fight for my life and to be number one on the jumps. But I didn’t stop at the jumps; I wanted to push myself further and took my ambitions to the cross country trails, which in turn made me a Nordic Combined athlete."

Representing his country at the 2014 Sochi Olympics gave Fletcher not only the platform to talk about his sports successes, but also about his cancer experience to open up a dialogue with parents and organizations from the childhood cancer world. Families were able to find a role model encouraging them to have children with cancer be as active as possible, both physically and cognitively. Once off treatment, the kids could be proactive and persistent in their full rehabilitation and then easily enter into competitive pursuits.

In the summer of 2014, Fletcher met Gavin Shamis, a youthful athlete and cancer patient with a similar story to his own and the idea for ccThrive was born. Today, the organization offers three different programs. The first is the ccThrive program, which shares inspirational stories from high-profile cancer survivors to help young cancer patients dream bigger, challenge themselves and achieve more. The second is the mentor program, which offers support and encouragement to achieve those goals. Finally, there is a grant program that helps those who need financial support to pursue their passions and goals at the next level.

To learn more about getting involved in ccThrive, visit their website. 

Release courtesy of FIS.

• Mike Glasder (Cary, IL) and Nita Englund (Florence, WI) took first-time national titles at the U.S. Ski Jumping Championships in Lake Placid, NY on the HS100 meter Olympic normal hill jump.
• Kevin Bickner (Wauconda, IL) and Nick Mattoon (Eau Claire, WI) won silver and bronze for the men, while Abby Hughes (Park City, UT) and Nina Lussi (Lake Placid, NY) were second and third for the women.
• In the large hill event this past August in Park City, UT, Will Rhoads (Park City, UT) and Lussi picked up titles.

RESULTS
Official Results

TRUCKEE, CA (Oct. 5, 2015) – The High Fives Foundation has awarded 26-year-old Nick Fairall (Andover, NH) an Empowerment Grant to bring the Olympic ski jumper to the CR Johnson Healing Center for specialized rehabilitative treatments this week.

On January 5, 2015, Fairall was competing in at a World Cup in Bischofshofen, Austria, when he crashed after a jump during qualifications. He underwent emergency spinal surgery within two hours of the crash and has been healing since then. He will now move to Truckee, CA to focus more on his recovery at the CR Johnson Healing Center.

"My absolute main goal, focus, and desire is to ski jump again," said Fairall. "It will always be on my mind, and I will always continue to work towards it."

As a part of the grant, Fairall will receive 32 sessions of personal training at the CR Johnson Healing Center. A program service of the High Fives Foundation, the CR Johnson Healing Center is a 2,400-square-foot training facility providing resources for athletes in recovery from life-altering and sport-related injuries. The Healing Center attracts over 250 monthly visits from High Fives Athletes and community members.

"It's been a pleasure to have the opportunity to work with an Olympic-caliber athlete like Nick," said Jack Powell, Fairall's personal trainer. "Nick and the other High Fives Athletes who have moved here recently really prove to me and to themselves that the work we do and the time and effort they put in pays off towards their recoveries, no matter their level of injury."

"Nick is so focused, so powerful," said Roy Tuscany, High Fives Foundation Executive Director. "He's also really fun to have around. His personality and attitude are the most important forces on his recovery."

Information courtesy of High Fives Foundation Media

PARK CITY, UT (Sept. 21, 2015) – Following a decision by Women’s Ski Jumping USA (WSJ-USA) to focus more on its successful Fly Girls development program, the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) will take on an expanded role in managing women’s elite ski jumping starting this fall. Program elements for the elite team will remain in place for the season under the USSA. The two organizations will work jointly to raise funds specific to women’s ski jumping moving forward.

“Women’s Ski Jumping USA has done a remarkable job in raising awareness for the sport and in providing a stable platform for the women leading up to their Olympic debut in Sochi,” said USSA Executive Vice President, Luke Bodensteiner. “We greatly respect the organization’s new focus in looking to the future with an emphasis on development through Fly Girls. Together we feel that the right next step for the elite program is to more actively wrap it in the existing systems of the U.S. Ski Team while working jointly to raise money to support the program.”

According to Bodensteiner, the USSA is committed this season to maintaining the elite coaching program put in place by WSJ-USA including domestic coach Alan Alborn, based at the Utah Olympic Park, and international coach Vasja Bajc, working out of Slovenia, as well as development coach Lindsey Van, 2009 World Champion, at the Utah Olympic Park. Beyond this season, the USSA will work with WSJ-USA and the ski jumping community to raise the funds necessary to best support the program.

“The best direction for Women’s Ski Jumping U.S.A. is one that best serves the athletes,” said WSJ-USA Interim President Peter Jerome. “I am pleased that the USSA will be taking responsibility for the national women's ski jumping program, including the employment and contracting of our two national team coaches. Women’s Ski Jumping USA will focus our organizational efforts on cultivating and supporting development programs and athletes, with an emphasis on the successful Fly Girls development program. This expanded partnership is a clear win for both organizations and will increase operational efficiency, while simultaneously addressing the specific needs of a wider range of athletes and athletic abilities.”

Presently, the U.S. Ski Team is providing direct athlete support to skiers who have achieved national team criteria, including Nita Englund (Florence, WI) and Sarah Hendrickson (Park City, UT). It is anticipated that additional athletes will be competing on the World Cup tour and will be able to continue to take advantage of the elite level coaching provided through the program.

In September, Englund had a strong run on the FIS Ski Jumping Summer Grand Prix, including a second in Almaty, Kazakhstan and a third in the World Cup-level series final standings. U.S. star and 2013 World Champion Hendrickson is out for the season. In August, Lake Placid’s Nina Lussi won the large hill event of the U.S. Ski Jumping Championships in Park City.

Top athletes will be in Lake Placid, NY Oct. 10-11 for the Flaming Leaves Festival, including the normal hill event of the U.S. Ski Jumping Championships.

LAKE PLACID, NY (Sept. 16, 2015) – Lake Placid’s Olympic Ski Jumping Complex will be the site of the U.S. Ski Jumping Championships on Sunday, Oct. 11. The normal hill championship will take place on the HS100 meter hill in Lake Placid as part of a full weekend of ski jumping during the annual Flaming Leaves Festival, Oct. 10-11, which also features a warmup USSA ski jumping competition on Saturday, Oct. 10.

Headlining the weekend will be Lake Placid’s own Nina Lussi, who picked up her first U.S. title in August on the large hill at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City, UT. Last weekend, Lussi scored her first World Cup-level points with two top-30 finishes in Chaikovsky, Russia and two more in Almaty, Kazakhstan at the FIS Ski Jumping Summer Grand Prix. She will face a challenge from teammate Nita Englund (Florence, WI) who took third overall in the summer tour.

The battle for the men’s title is expected to be close with Will Rhoads (Park City, UT) coming in on the heels of his first title a month ago. He’ll be challenged by Kevin Bickner (Wauconda, IL), fresh off a point-scoring finish on the FIS Summer Grand Prix in Japan.

“The Flaming Leaves Festival is one of my favorite events not only because it's in my hometown but also because of the atmosphere,” said Lussi from the Summer Grand Prix in Kazakhstan. “The fall foliage is beautiful and there is live music and barbecuing at the jumps. It will be great to catch up with the rest of the U.S. again and I'm sure it will be a great competition.”

“U.S. nationals in Lake Placid is always an awesome event and atmosphere to be a part of,” said Rhoads. “Having won the large hill championship earlier this summer I am looking forward to this event as a chance to earn another title. It is always exciting to compete in a place with so much Olympic heritage and history and I am looking forward to bringing my best performance to Lake Placid this October!”

The Flaming Leaves Festival, which begins at 10 a.m. both days, features a wide array of live music plus barbeque and a full weekend of fun mixed with ski jumping.

U.S. Championships in ski jumping are traditionally held during the summer and fall on all-season jumps, such as Lake Placid. Ski jumping is one of the few winter sports that can be conducted in in summer with virtually the same type of competition as in winter.

The Championship is jointly organized by the New York Ski Educational Foundation (NYSEF), the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) and the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA).

"Lake Placid is proud of its ski jumping legacy beginning with Art Devlin, who blazed the trail that so many who have followed including the likes of Jay Rand, Peter Frenette, Nina Lussi and so many others,” said ORDA President and CEO Ted Blazer. “Lake Placid is proud to be hosting this event again during the Flaming Leaves Festival."

U.S. SKI JUMPING CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE
Flaming Leaves Festival – Lake Placid, NY
Saturday, Oct. 10
10:00 a.m. – Flaming Leaves Festival opens
12:00 p.m. – Trial Round NYSEF HS100 meter USSA ski jumping competition
1:30 p.m. – NYSEF HS100 meter USSA ski jumping competition

Sunday, Oct. 11
9:30 am – Trial round HS100 meter U.S. Ski Jumping Championships
10:00 a.m. – Flaming Leaves Festival opens
11:00 a.m. – U.S. Championship HS100 meter competition round (two jumps) begins
Afternoon – Flaming Leaves Festival continues featuring live music, barbecue and more

HIGHLIGHTS

• Lake Placid HS100 meter Olympic ski jump will be the site of the U.S. Ski Jumping Championships normal hill event Sunday, Oct. 11.
• Festival Showcase: The Championships is a showcase event of the Oct. 10-11 Flaming Leaves Festival.
• What’s at Stake: Top ski jumpers from around American will vie for U.S. Championship normal hill titles.
• Who to Watch: Reigning large hill champions from a month ago, Will Rhoads (Park City, UT) and Nina Lussi (Lake Placid, NY) will highlight the field of top ski jumpers from around America.

TOP SKI JUMPERS
MEN
Will Rhoads, 20, Park City, UT (Park City Nordic) – A strong winter season that included a second at a Continental Cup in Japan put Will Rhoads onto the World Championship team last season. This summer he broke through with his first U.S. title, winning the U.S. Championships large hill crown on his home hill in Park City.

Kevin Bickner, 19, Wauconda, IL (Norge Ski Club) – Kevin Bickner has had a busy summer with nearly a dozen comps, including his first World Cup points in a FIS Summer Grand Prix on the Olympic hill in Hakuba, Japan. He was also 12th in a Continental Cup and sixth in a FIS Cup in Europe. He finished second to Rhoads in the large hill U.S. Championships in August.

Christian Friberg, 21, Roseville, IL (St. Paul Ski Club) – Christian Friberg had a strong summer and winter at the FIS Cup and Continental Cup level. A year ago he won his first U.S. title on the large hill and took bronze in August.

Mike Glasder, 26, Cary, IL (Norge Ski Club) – Mike Glasder just missed the podium in the large hill Championship in Park City. He then went on to compete in the FIS Continental Cup tour in Europe, scoring a top-30 finish.

WOMEN
Nita Englund, 23, Florence, WI (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club) – Wisconsin native Nita Englund burst onto the scene last winter with five top-10 World Cups including a podium and a trip to the World Championships. Earlier this month she scored four top-10 FIS Summer Grand Prix finishes, including a podium, to take third in the summer World Cup-level series. She skipped the large hill U.S. Championships to train in Slovenia but is coming back to Lake Placid.

Nina Lussi, 21, Lake Placid, NY (New York Ski Educational Foundation) – Nina Lussi grew up on the Olympic jumps in Lake Placid. This summer has seen her make another breakthrough, taking her first U.S. title on the large hill in Park City and scoring her first World Cup points with four-straight top-30 finishes in the FIS Summer Grand Prix in Russia and Kazakhstan. She took silver on the large hill at U.S. Championships in August.

Tara Geraghty-Moats, 22, W. Fairlee, VT (Lebanon Outing Club) – Former biathlete Tara Geraghty-Moats came back to ski jumping last season in a big way, working her way onto the World Championship team and scoring a top-20 and turning in a top-10 World Cup in her debut season. She took bronze in the large hill U.S. Championships in August.

Abby Hughes, 26, Park City, UT (Park City Nordic) – Veteran Abby Hughes carries the experience of three World Championships. In August, she contended for the U.S. large hill title, taking fourth.

QUOTES
Will Rhoads, Park City, UT, reigning U.S. large hill champion
U.S. nationals in Lake Placid is always an awesome event and atmosphere to be a part of. Having won the large hill championship earlier this summer I am looking forward to this event as a chance to earn another title. It is always exciting to compete in a place with so much Olympic heritage and history and I am looking forward to bringing my best performance to Lake Placid this October!

Nina Lussi, Lake Placid, NY, reigning U.S. large hill champion
The Flaming Leaves Festival is one of my favorite events not only because it's in my hometown but also because of the atmosphere. The fall foliage is beautiful and there is live music and barbecuing at the jumps. It will be great to catch up with the rest of the U.S. again and I'm sure it will be a great competition.

Clint Jones, USA Nordic men’s domestic coach
Will Rhoads has continued to look solid throughout the summer. Kevin Bickner was able to score his first FIS Summer Grand Prix points in Japan a few weeks ago and he will be looking to get his first U.S. title in Lake Placid. Mike Glasder and Christian Friberg should also be in the mix. Lake Placid is known for its unique hill design and there always seems to be some surprises on the podium, so it should be an exciting event. 

Alan Alborn, Women’s Ski Jumping USA domestic coach
The normal hill U.S. Championships will set the tone for the remainder of our preparation into the winter season. With Nita landing herself on the podium in Kazakhstan, this for sure will raise the level for all of the team. She will be the clear favorite but I hope to see the other team members close behind her heading into the season. The Flaming Leaves weekend always proves to pose its challenges with changing fall winds and varying temperatures making it more difficult for the athletes.

Robert Lazzaroni, USSA Nordic Program Director
Lake Placid continues to exude a great spirit as an Olympic community. Bringing the U.S. Championships to the Olympic Ski Jumping Complex is a great opportunity to showcase the best ski jumpers in America.

Ted Blazer, President and CEO, Olympic Regional Development Authority
Lake Placid is proud of its ski jumping legacy beginning with Art Devlin, who blazed the trail that so many who have followed including the likes of Jay Rand, Peter Frenette, Nina Lussi and so many others. Lake Placid is proud to be hosting this event again during the Flaming Leaves Festival.

ALMATY, Kazakhstan (Sept. 13, 2015) - American Nita Englund (Florence, WI) came away from the final two weekends of FIS Ski Jumping Summer Grand Prix with a big step forward in her international career, taking fifth in Sunday’s finale to finish third overall. Nina Lussi (Lake Placid, NY) was 21st, her best finish and fourth straight points-scoring result against the World Cup field.

Japan’s Sara Takahashi made it a perfect sweep with her win in the Olympic bid city of Almaty on Sunday. Teammate Yuki Ito was second in the event, and the Grand Prix.

View from the top in the impressive Sunkar International Ski Jumping Center, originally opened for the 2011 Asian Games and a frequent stop on the FIS ski jumping tour. (FIS)

In the opening round, Englund went 94.5 meters but stood seventh, behind a towering 103.5 meter effort by Takahashi on the HS 106.0 meter hill. Her second jump was shorter at 92.5 meters, but was enough to move her into fifth by two points over France’s Julia Clair. Takahashi won with 237.1 pints, a 10-point margin over Ito. England netted 212.2.

Lucia went 80.0 meets in the firs round to stand 24th, moving up to 21st with an 84.0 ride in the final round. It was her best international finish and left her 26th in the Grand Prix with just four of the five events, having missed the opener in Courchevel, France in August.

“I was relatively happy with how today went,” said Lussi. “My second jump was more on my current level and I now know where I stand in relation to the rest of the World Cup. I'm looking forward to more ski jumping specific training in Central Europe and getting set for the winter. The team dynamic is good and we are definitely on the right track.”

“Nita had great takeoffs today - like yesterday's first round (where she had the longest ride),” said Coach Vasja Bajc. “It’s just that today's transition into the flight phase wasn't as smooth. She worked better on landing today what gave her good style points.”

"We have to be happy with both weekend's results," said Bajc."But on the other hand, we are aware that we have a lot of hard work waiting on us til the start of winter. We'd like to have more teammates here so that the rivalry would be higher and training sessions would be higher quality."

One of the highlights of the two final weekends of the Grand Prix in Russia and Kazakhstan was Englund's second place finish on Saturday. "Saturday's comp was not easy due the tricky wind over the hill," said Bajc. "Nita had a great first round jump - longest of the round and maybe one of the best since I've been with the team. But she needs to work on her landing. This is a technique point is what I look for daily from her and it is just a matter of time and she will show it."

Lussi will now join Englund at their Slovenian training base for a few weeks. The two will train together with Bajc before returning to Lake Placid for the annual Flaming Leaves Festival Oct. 10-11, which includes the normal hill event of the U.S. Ski Jumping Championships. Lussi won the large hill title in August at Park City. England missed that event to train in Slovenia, but is returning back to the USA to compete in the Championships.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Nita Englund (Florence, WI) wrapped up the five-event FIS Ski Jumping Summer Grand Prix with a fifth in Almaty to finish the series third.
• Nina Lussi continued her consistent run in the Grand Prix with a career best World Cup in 21st.
• The women will now train in Slovenia before returning to the USA for the Flaming Leaves Festival Oct. 10-11 in Lake Placid.
   

A ski jumper on a chairlift is silhouetted against the setting sun in Almaty. (FIS)

RESULTS
Official Results 
FIS Summer Grand Prix Final Standings 
 

The sunset sky comes alive over the jumps at the Sunkar International Ski Jumping Center in Almaty. (FIS)