Grand Junction resident will compete in 2022 Winter Olympics

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KJCT) - Joanne Reid will be competing in biathlon, which is a winter sport that consists of cross-country skiing and rifle sharpshooting.

Reid was a cross-country skier at the University of Colorado in Boulder and recruited after college. “So the sports are just similar enough that most of our team actually came from elite cross-country skiing, and that was the case for me as well,’ said Reid.

At the age of 23, Reid was taught the sport. She says, “It’s kind of unusual for a country. Most countries have their athletes develop much younger at age 12 to age 15.”

Reid comes from a background of Olympic athletes; her mother competed in winter sports. “I do think if you have a history growing up of sport and especially winter sport, you kind of tend to stick with it over time. So, that’s why I think my parents pushed both my brothers and me to do some kind of sport,’ added Reid.

She says the sport is like no other because it’s made up of two things that don’t really go together. She says, “It’s a mental sport, and it’s a physical sport. And both of them are really, really hard. So for a lot of us here for the United States Biathlon team. What we like about cross country skiing is it is really demanding and difficult. Then you had this layer of something that is really precise and really meditative in a way and you’re trying to do those both in tandem, and the challenge of it is the fun.”

This Olympic athlete shares some advice for those who are interested in pursuing a career in sport.

“I mean the most important thing is to make sure you’re having fun whatever you’re doing and you shouldn’t push yourself into anything you dislike, but if you like something a lot, you may as well go for it and see where it takes you,” said Reid.

Opening ceremonies for the 2022 Beijing Olympics kick off on Feb. 4.

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