Jessie is an indisputably great person, and an amazing ambassador for the sport. In 2011(?) she raced nationals in Rumford, ME, and wrote a glowing letter thanking everybody--volunteers, the town, the spectators. Next year they returned to Rumford, so I somehow contacted her and asked her if she'd visit our school to speak. She declined that, with busy schedule, and wanting to reduce exposure to the cesspool of germs in a school, but offered to ski with the middle school team I coached. She brought along Jennie Bender, who was also a pretty big-deal racer. My son was in 8th grade at the time, and has gone on to ski collegiately and now coaches at Alaska-Fairbanks, in no small part because of Jessie and Jennie.

She's a hero.