What does the greatest American cross country skier of all time do for a second act? Jessie Diggins retired from skiing earlier this winter on top of her sport. Now at the ripe age of 35, she's charting a new path.
Last weekend it was 100 miles long, and Diggins ran it faster than any other woman.
She competed in the 100-mile Superior Fall Trail Race, which is run on a remote trail along the rugged shore of Lake Superior in northern Minnesota.
"Listen, Jesse Diggins is a legend, and people in America should know," said Micah Melander, who drove up from the Twin Cities to support another runner, but was pumped to learn that Diggins was in the race. "We want Jesse Diggins in trail running. So also, I'm so excited that she's doing this."
As a skier, Diggins was renowned for her ability to push her body to its limits, to descend deep into what she calls the "pain cave."
That skill helped her win four Olympic medals and four overall World Cup titles over her 15-year pro ski career.
It was also ideal preparation for her first 100 miler, said race director John Storkamp. Athletes ran through the night, often in a pouring rain, up and down a rocky, slippery trail.
"There's nobody better at kind of grinding something out ... and a 100 mile distance is really about grinding, you know," Storkamp said.
Diggins smiled and chatted through early race checkpoints. But as she approached the finish, 25 hours after she started, she could barely run.
"It was quite emotional for me.," Diggins said. "I remember crying, and then very shortly after crossing the finish line, I realized, like, I can't stand anymore. Like once I stopped, it was as if every ounce of energy that I had had gone into just getting to that finish line, and once I did it was like oh yeah there's nothing left now. "
But she says she gets a ton of satisfaction out of pushing her body so hard.
"I treat it like a real gift because in life we don't get to choose when we are going through something hard. We don't get to choose the moments when we're going to suffer. But in a race, you sign up for that... and that's amazing because then you get to build this resilience...and the skill set to get you through hard things in life."
This was the third long trail race Diggins has run since retiring from skiing in March. But she doesn't plan to make it a second athletic career. As much as she loved to ski race, she says, it was also her job.
"And when it is also the way that you pay the bills and literally put food on the table, it does come with a higher level of pressure. And there is something wonderful about knowing, like, hey, if I never sign up for another race again, that's okay. It's not my job anymore. It is literally just for fun."
But Diggins isn't just easing into retirement. For all her success, it still came in an obscure sport. And female athletes still generally make a lot less money than men.
"If I had the equivalent career as an NHL player," she said, "I probably wouldn't need to find another job right off the bat. That's just the way that it is."
Plus she's excited for her second career as a public speaker. She talks to audiences about mental health, about grit and teamwork, and yes, the pain cave. For Diggins it's a new way to push herself.
"I'm nervous every time I go on stage. My heart's going almost like, well, almost exactly like it is on the start line of a race. You know, can I memorize a 45 minute speech and do it when I'm nervous on stage in front of thousands of people?"
But she appreciates the challenge, and the opportunity. The way she sees it, she gets 45 minutes to give people a piece of her story. And hopefully it motivates them to push themselves across whatever finish line is in their lives.
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