MADISON, Wis. (April 18, 2022) – Central Cross Country Skiing (CXC) has announced a lineup of new and returning coaches for its CXC Academy program. This online subscription service provides professional training plans and targeted online training resources for cross-country skiers.
CXC Academy has named Leo Hipp, Team Birkie Head Coach, to its team of guest coaches and mentors. Leo will offer training advice through training plans, monthly Zoom calls addressing member Q&As, and videos covering sport-specific training tips like race tactics and preparedness, ski selection, and technique.
Named to the team of mentors in 2021, Mark Terresani, the Midwest Regional Coordinator for United States Biathlon Association (USBA) and biathlon program director and coach at Blackhawk Ski Club in Madison (Wisconsin); and Caitlin Compton Gregg, five-time American Birkebeiner Champion and sports ambassador will continue in their mentor roles offering sport-specific training tips through videos.
Now stepping into its 15th season, CXC Academy has been a valuable tool for athletes and coaches around the nation and internationally. Whether a skier is a beginner looking to finish their first 5k, a Master skier training for a big ski event, or simply looking to improve overall strength and fitness, CXC Academy has a training program to meet these goals.
COACHES & MENTORS SPOTLIGHT
My name is Leo Hipp, and I am currently the head coach for Team Birkie, a professional ski team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I have had the privilege of working with Caitlin Gregg to help solidify the team within our amazing skiing community here in the Central Region.
I grew up in Forest Lake, Minnesota, skiing and competing in high school competitions and then training and competing with Nordicwerks Skiklubb at the national level. After Forest Lake, I received the amazing privilege of skiing for Northern Michigan University at the collegiate level under one of the country’s best coaches, Sten Fjeldheim. This provided me with an opportunity for consistent racing at one of the highest levels in the United States. During my time in college, I was able to ski at the 2016 Junior World Championships and 2016 OPA Cup finals.
Besides athletics, academics were a significant part of my college experience. I graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science and was then able to stay at Northern to pursue a Master’s Degree in the same field. I attained eligibility for the 5th year and then was a Graduate Assistant Coach for the team my 6th year, ultimately graduating in 2021 with a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science. This led directly to my starting at Team Birkie in May of 2021.
I am highly excited for the upcoming season and can’t wait to see you all out at camps and ski trails! Happy training.
Mark Torresani has joined CXC Academy as a biathlon coach, mentor, and motivator, – introducing the sport of biathlon through a series of monthly videos and training plan tips.
Mark Torresani is the Midwest Regional Coordinator for United States Biathlon Association (USBA) and is the biathlon program director and coach at Blackhawk Ski Club in Madison (Wisconsin). Mark has been an active coach and participant in Nordic skiing and biathlon for over 35 years. Since 1995 Mark has been helping to develop Nordic ski and biathlon programs and venues in the Madison area. Mark has been working with biathletes of all levels over the past 15 years and routinely leads biathlon safety certification classes and biathlon training camps. Mark works as a civil engineer for Tetra Tech in Madison, Wisconsin, and actively volunteers his engineering skills to help with the design and development of Nordic and biathlon venues throughout the Midwest.
CXC Academy is one of the flagship programs of Central Cross Country Skiing (CXC). Recognized as the governing organization for cross country skiing by U.S. Ski & Snowboard in the North Central States of the United States, CXC has a long track record of helping skiers at any level.
To learn more about CXC Academy and how it can help you improve your cross country skiing, check it out at www.cxcacademy.com.
We’d love to have you along as we look forward to training for the 2022-2023 ski season!
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