Andrew Johnson

Age: 29
Hometown: Greensboro, VT
School: Middlebury, VT
Residence: Split between Greensboro, VT and Park City, UT
Training Group: Leads NENSA coaching clinics throughout summer, and Works with the Craftsbury Nordic Ski Club
Occupation: Master Carpenter

At the age of 7, Andrew's family moved from Washington State's snow-less Puget Sound to northern Vermont. Andrew got his first pair of skis a few weeks later and joined the Bill Koch Ski League. Three years later, he achieved one of his most memorable moments in skiing by winning the New England Bill Koch Ski Championships in the J-5 division by one second. This started Andrew on a journey of cross-country ski racing in which he has traveled the world.

After the Bill Koch league, AJ raced as a junior in the New England division, winning Junior National Championship races as a J1 and gaining NCAA All American honors racing for Middlebury College. Because of his results, talent and commitment to the sport, AJ was one of the first skiers invited to join the newly reformed US development team headed by USST coach Miles Minson in 2000. During his 8 years with the USST, AJ skied in two winter Olympics (2002 and 2006), three World Championships (2003, 2005 and 2007), several seasons of World Cup competition, and is a 3 time National Champion. His 21st place at the 2002 30km freestyle race at the 2002 games in Soldier Hollow is the 3rd best placing by an American under the age of 24 at the Olympic Games, only behind Bill Koch and Kris Freeman.

For the 07-08 season, AJ has decided to focus his efforts on the domestic race schedule and has joined the Fischer/Craft team. He is excited to be racing and traveling with this talent-laden team and is excited to be traveling in the US and working with his former coach, Miles MInson. Training has gone well, although he has to admit that the most fulfilling day of training this summer came in late August, when he had the opportunity one Monday to go watch a game at Fenway. Tim Wakefield took a no-hitter into the 7th inning, so the missed day of work was well worth it.