Courtesy of Brian Beard

Nordic skier Mirra Payson ’27 had the opportunity of a lifetime competing on Team USA in the 2025 World Youth and Junior Biathlon Championships in Östersund, Sweden in early March.

Nordic skiing has been a lifelong passion and a core part of Payson’s DNA. Payson grew up in Massachusetts, where she remembers skiing on a golf course that made snow to compensate for the lack of snowfall in her region.

“My parents got me into Nordic skiing when I was probably two years old, and I’ve just been skiing since then,” Payson said.

According to Payson, Nordic skiing was a key element that led her to the College.

“I love the Bowdoin Nordic team so much, and my high school team was super fun. It’s cool because we get to travel to a lot of places for races and training, so that’s a lot of fun just to experience new places to ski,” Payson said. “I went on a tour of Bowdoin, and … I got to meet the team. That was what made my decision.”

Payson got the opportunity to participate in the world biathlon in Sweden after a coach from her high school informed her of the qualifier race in December.

“I did [the qualifier] last year, and then I did it this year again,” Payson said. “But [the qualifier is] three races, and the top four from each category are the ones who get to go on this trip.”

The biathlon lasted roughly two weeks, beginning with a few training days to acclimate athletes to the time zone and preview the course. Following the initial training, athletes had roughly seven days of racing. The event featured athletes from all over the world.

Under the biathlon format, the participants oscillate between skiing laps around a course and shooting targets with a rifle. Payson used a .22 caliber rifle.

“There’s a 50-meter range, and there are five targets at the end of the range. You get on this mat where you shoot,” Payson said. “Then, you shoot five shots and try to hit as many of them as you can. And if you miss a target, then you’ll see a penalty lap or get a time penalty. So, the goal is to hit all of them and then be out of the range as quick as you can.”

Teams are composed of four skiers per age group who each compete in three to five races. Payson was in the junior category and completed four races.

According to Payson, there are three race formats: relay races, mass  starts and individual races. In the relay format, the athletes compete in teams of four, who complete the track together by tagging the next person in their team after they finish. In the mass start, everyone starts at the same time, so skiers must take into account where they are in the race relative to others. In the individual format, everyone competes, and one person goes every 30 seconds until the whole field is gone.

Payson said she felt that the Nordic ski team at the College was very helpful in preparing her for the experience.

“I did all of my ski training with them.… It was great to have a team to train with and just prepare me for learning how to handle stressful races and situations that don’t always go right,” Payson said. “All my teammates kept … checking in, just being there for support the whole time.”

In the end, Payson placed in the top 60, which she described as “tough,” but also praised the experience as a learning opportunity and a chance to meet with coaches and fellow athletes.

“I’d known most of [the skiers] from other races in the past, so it’s cool just to be able to go and race with them again,” Payson said. “Obviously the coaches are at a very high level, so they know a lot. And there’s a lot you can learn from talking to the coaches and watching the races and watching other athletes race.”

Payson said the experience was ultimately fun and fulfilling.

“I definitely learned that there’s so many components that have to go right.… And there’s a lot of stuff you can’t control, like weather and skis and if you fall or anything,” Payson said. “In the end, it’s  a fun experience. And you meet new people and  have a good time.”