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Diggins has already found success in Beijing
Last week, she took home Team USA’s first-ever medal in the cross country Olympic sprint, placing third to earn bronze, just .28 seconds behind Swedish silver medalist Maja Dahlqvist. It was an incredible run that bested her two previous Olympic tries when she placed 6th and 12th.
The Beijing Games aren’t the first time she’s made cross-country history either. In Pyeongchang, Diggins, along with partner Kikkan Randall, earned the first-ever gold medal (men’s or women’s) in the team event for Team USA.
She’s one of the world’s top skiing superstars!
Diggins’ pursuit of victory is relentless
As if the medals weren’t enough proof, you need watch her ski. Diggins pushes the boundaries of what is physically possible every race.
Sometimes, she’s fighting so hard that her legs go numb and, “everything starts to look a little bit pink or yellow, even though I’m not wearing colored glasses,” she said in an interview with SI Magazine. When she’s finally across the finish line, “I’m definitely, like, close to blacking out.”
With Diggins giving the sport her all, she’s hitting her stride at just the right time in her third Games, though this time it’ll be without her partner and mentor, Randall, who retired. Instead, she’ll compete with Rosie Brennan, a two-time Olympian ready to earn her first medal in the team classic sprint.
Diggins is easy to root for because she's more than just an athlete
She’s also a spokesperson for the Emily Program, an organization that provides treatment for eating disorders, because as a teenage athlete, she sought treatment for bulimia in 2010. Diggins hopes her story will improve self-acceptance and reduce the stigma and secrecy around eating disorders.
There are *so* many reasons to join the Jessie Diggins hype train, and we’re so excited to root for her to finish in the top-8 of the 27-team classic sprint event.
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Why we’re betting on Jessie Diggins
1. Because she’s the queen of SPARKLES!!
She applies sparkles on her cheeks before every race to remind herself to remember the joy in the sport she loves, and we love that for her. (We have it on good authority that she brought 6 containers full to Beijing!)
2. Because she’s the goldfish and doesn’t hold onto negativity – especially when it’s out of her control.
As the great Ted Lasso once said, “The happiest animal on earth is a goldfish, because it has a 10 second memory. Be the Goldfish.” We need that attitude!
3. Because she’s a writer just like us, with her own personal blog.
Whether it’s gender equality, self-love, or a piece of advice, we applaud Jessie for sharing her truth.
4. Because she speaks up about subjects that matter!
She hopes her book titled “Brave Enough” will improve self-acceptance and reduce stigma and secrecy around eating disorders, which is truly inspiring.
5. Because she lives for the thrill
This adrenaline junkie loves skydiving, bungee and cliff jumping, and has 15 roller skiing scars!!