Jackie Garso

Her Journey from Lake Clear to the World Cup

Age: 24
Parents: Joe Garso and Cindy Woods Garso
Hometown: Lake Clear
Current Team: Craftsbury Green Racing Project 
Favorite Snack: Peanut Butter Cups

By Kate Halligan

Jackie Garso has been named to the roster for the U.S. Biathlon World Cup team for the second trimester, with races set to begin on January 4, 2024.

Get to Know Jackie – Growing up in Lake Clear, Jackie tried nearly every sport, including running, soccer, swimming, tumbling, hockey, alpine and nordic skiing, lacrosse, and track. She even had a brief foray into speed skating and ski jumping. Gradually, the practices started to interfere with one another so that by the time she entered high school Jackie had to narrow her focus to Nordic skiing and cross country running for Saranac Lake High School. In addition, Jackie skied with New York Ski Education Foundation (NYSEF). The decision was well-made, as she would go on to win the 2016 New York State Individual and Combined Nordic championship and compete at Junior Nationals, earning two top-15 results for the Mid-Atlantic team. 

A highlight and influence for Jackie’s athletic upbringing was Dewey Mountain Recreation Center in Saranac Lake. When asked about Dewey, Jackie said, “I am genuinely not sure if I can put into words how much Dewey influenced me, and how special it is to me. Physically, Dewey shaped my skiing in ways that are still obvious today – my preference for hilly courses, my willingness to take risks, and my descending skills were all honed there.” Related to competition, Dewey taught Jackie that racing could be fun and she could push herself, just for the sheer joy of it. In addition to athletics, Dewey taught her other lessons. For instance, Dewey instilled in Jackie a “respect for the outdoors, not just as a whole, but for a place you inhabit minute by minute.” Growing up at Dewey also taught her that you can navigate in to and out of almost any condition or obstacle, be it on the ski course or life, as long as you trust yourself. 

After high school, Jackie decided to attend St. Lawrence University after a campus visit. Interestingly, St. Lawrence was not Jackie’s first choice, believing it too stereotypical a choice for a kid from the North Country. However, following a campus visit, she quickly changed her mind. She liked the campus, the Nordic coaches, and, as an added bonus, she could continue to be teammates with her fellow New Yorker, Lucy Hochschartner from Lake Placid.

During her time racing for the Saints, Jackie posted multiple top 20 finishes and qualified for the 2019 NCAA championship in Stowe, Vt. where she placed 33rd in the 5K skate race. Jackie graduated from St. Lawrence in 2020 with a degree in Statistics, which she hopes to someday use as a data analyst for a professional sports team. 

Entry into Biathlon – Biathlon, a niche sport in the United States, is the combination of cross-country skiing and rifle marksmanship. Therefore, to host a biathlon race, a venue needs trails to ski on and a biathlon range. Luckily for Jackie, her hometown of Lake Clear neighbors Lake Placid, home of the 1980 Winter Olympics and one of the few venues in the country equipped to host biathlon races and events. Jackie was introduced to biathlon through events put on by members of the biathlon community, including biathlon clinics and paintball biathlon. 

In addition, she attended a Talent ID Camp hosted by US Biathlon when she was seventeen. The Talent ID program is designed for current or recently graduated collegiate cross-country skiers “who are interested in continuing their athletic ski racing careers professionally after college, but need professional support and guidance in committing to their next step.” At the Camp, Jackie gained further exposure to handling the rifle and shooting. 

After graduating from St. Lawrence in 2020, Jackie recognized the potential biathlon offered for her to continue her athletic career. Jackie moved to Truckee, Calif. and joined the Auburn Ski Club Elite Team led by Biathlon Program Director, and New York native, Brian Halligan. Although faced with challenges, including the pandemic and limited housing, Jackie enjoyed that California offered the unique combination of year-round sunshine and ample snow for training. While with the Elite Team, Jackie made her international debut, racing at the International Biathlon Union Youth/Junior World Championship in Obertilliach, Austria. 

After spending two seasons in California, Jackie moved back to the East Coast. Going into the 2022-23 season, she earned a spot with the Craftsbury’s Green Racing Project, based out of Craftsbury, Vt. Through the GRP, athletes are provided housing and live right on the edge of the Craftsbury Outdoor Center trail system. In addition, the athlete house is only a short distance from the biathlon range and training. 

During her first season with the GRP, Jackie secured a spot on the United States’ International Biathlon Union Cup team. While racing in Canmore, Alberta, Jackie placed 22nd in the 7.5K Sprint race, her career best. The result is particularly impressive based on the circumstances in the lead up to the Sprint, with races postponed due to below freezing temperatures, eliminating rest days between races. By the time of the Sprint race, Jackie had raced four times in five days. Needless to say, she was tired. But Jackie’s coach reminded her that all the racers were tired so the race would come down to who could fight. That day, Jackie tapped into her North Country grit and fought through the fatigue. Not only did she ski fast, but she also hit 90% of her targets, proving that biathlon really is a two-sport competition. 

During the 2022-23 season, Jackie also made her debut on the World Cup circuit. The jump from the IBU Cup team to the World Cup level is not to be underestimated. Not only are the competitors the best in the world, but most of them have years of experience competing internationally. For Jackie, the experience was jarring and disorienting. She felt she had been developing as a biathlete and had been getting promising results, both at the national level and on the IBU Cup Circuit. However, in her first World Cup race she finished second to last. For Jackie, the experience put into perspective how much more there was to learn about biathlon and the possibility for development. 

2023-24 Season – In November, the US Biathlon Association announced the International Biathlon Union World Cup roster for the first trimester of the World Cup circuit. Jackie earned one of the four spots on the women’s team based on her strong results last season, US biathlon trials in Solider Hollow, Utah, and the European preseason camp in Finland.  

Despite her successes and prior World Cup race experience, being on the World Cup Team was not one of Jackie’s goals for the 2023-24 season. Instead, Jackie set goals related to her ski technique, shooting speed, and her process. The purpose of these goals is to focus on things within her control, with the belief that the results will come on their own from it. 

During the first trimester, Jackie raced in Sweden, Austria and Switzerland, all countries with a strong biathlon following. In contrast to the US, biathlon is extremely well known and followed in Europe. Due to the popularity of the sport, the race day experience in Europe is quite different. For example, athletes shoot in front of bleachers full of fans, something that Jackie says can be quite nerve racking. Additionally, there is a constant din of voices, as hundreds of people cheer over each other in multiple languages.

In addition to the challenges of competing on the world stage, Jackie notes that there are unexpected challenges of being a professional athlete. For example, athletes live in what seems like an endless series of hotel rooms. Oftentimes, athletes must do laundry in a sink or bathtub, and are always going through a repetitive cycle of packing and unpacking. While initially novel, living out of a suitcase and constant travel can also be draining.

In December, Jackie was again named to the World Cup circuit to compete during the second trimester. The second trimester will begin on January 4th in Oberhof, Germany. As Jackie gears up for the next trimester, she states she wants to “clean” a race, a term used to describe hitting all five targets. To put into perspective the challenge of this goal, the top-ranked woman of the 2023-24 season has only cleaned two out of eight individual races. 

Overall, Jackie still has a lot of opportunities left in biathlon, and her discipline as an athlete will be an asset as she advances within the sport. “This might sound weird, but I actually don’t consider myself to be a very motivated person. Doing biathlon is fun and I’m improving at it, and learning and growing as a person. When these experiences stop being true – when training becomes something that I need to motivate myself to do, then I’ll probably stop.” Until that time comes, all of us at home will be cheering her on. 

To follow Jackie’s journey, race results can be found on through the IBU app or online: biathlonworld.com/results. To support Jackie, please consider donating to the US Biathlon Women’s Team Fundraiser: gofundme.com/f/us-biathlon-womens-team-fundraiser. 

As a final note, Jackie would like to give a HUGE shout out to her parents, Joe and Cindy for all their support!

Kate Halligan (khalligan74@gmail.com) of Glens Falls is a freelance writer, ski coach and attorney in California. She graduated from St. Lawrence University in 2015 and Vermont Law School in 2018. Kate enjoys all forms of skiing, ultra running, reading and writing.