Kikkan Randall is one of the few athletes who can say she made her Olympic debut in her birthplace - born in Salt Lake City and a member of the 2002 Olympic Team in Salt Lake (although, admittedly, the races were at Soldier Hollow). A promising cross country runner while growing up in Alaska, she added "serious" cross country skiing as a counter-seasonal training vehicle...and then became a champion skier, too. She's already got the best Olympic and World Cup results by an American woman. And, really, she's just getting started.

MAKING HISTORY
In 2008, Randall scored the first ever World Cup Victory for an American woman in cross-country and notched two more World Cup Top-tens to close the season ranked 15th in the world in sprint rankings.  Despite being diagnosed with a massive blood clot in her left leg in April 2008, Randall rebounded well to win the first ever US women's World Championship medal at the 2009 World Championships in Liberec, Czech Republic. Randall is married to Canadian ski racer Jeff Ellis.

FIRST TRACKS
Her family, in Salt Lake while her mother attended law school at the University of Utah, returned to Alaska after Randall's birth. The niece of two Olympians (Uncle Chris Haines, Mom's brother, was a '76 cross country skier and Aunt Betsy Haines was the first racer on-course in the 1980 5K), she was a first-rate high school cross country runner and turned to skiing as a way to "stay in shape" in the winter. She went on to become one of the top U.S. junior racers; "It's in my blood," she said with her trademark high-voltage smile. She blends classes at APU (aiming for business degree) with her cross country training and serves as a key liaison between the Ski Team and one of the nation's premier club programs.  Kikkan's unique name is partly inspired by Christina "Kiki" Cutter, the first American, male or female, to win a World Cup title.  In December 2007, Kikkan joined Kiki in the history books by becoming the first American woman to win a cross-country World Cup title. Both women also achieved Olympic best results for their respective disciplines.

I AM
"Kikkanimal"...The last Alaska state speed-skiing champion (1997 - 74.14mph)...Randall may have something going with even numbers: she's won the U.S. sprint title in '02, '04, '06, '08 and '10...And she added two distance titles in '06 and '08, and 4 in '10.

Always give your best!

 

Quote