The Team Birkie Community
Dear Team Birkie Friends,
The 2025–2026 season will go down as one of the most successful and defining years in Team Birkie history. From the international stage to domestic racing, this team continues to prove what’s possible through commitment, resilience, and a shared belief in the process.
This season, Team Birkie proudly saw three Olympians represent on the world’s biggest stage, a milestone that reflects years of dedication and the strength of the program. Domestically, the team delivered standout performances across the board, including the U.S. Nationals relay championship title, victory at the American Birkebeiner, and a long list of SuperTour personal bests that highlight the depth and upward trajectory of the roster.
These achievements are not isolated moments—they are the result of a culture that values hard work, smart training, and collective support.
A big round of thank you’s need to be extended to our sponsors and supporters:
Our founding partners ABSF, Loppet and CXC are key supporters that help the team stand on its feet as well as encouraging athletes to be involved in our ski community, our larger community and take parts in events around the Midwest. This team would not be without our three founding partners.
Podiumwear - our apparel is unmatched and the team looks fresh in their black and blue suits, warmups and puffy jackets on all events.
GU Energy - our nutrition sponsor - without proper fuel, none of this can happen. Carbs, protein and tasty snacks keeps our athletes, focused and ready to go.
TOKO - our supplier for wax-equipment, backpacks, water-belts, and gloves. We would not look as professional as we do nor would our skis be fast without this partner.
Tamarack Health - hospital located in Hayward, WI who support our athletes on a needs-basis. All athletes go through a full health-evaluation and have access to highly qualified doctors throughout the year. This support means the world as the health of our athletes is priority number one.
Performance Running Gym - our gym partner in Minneapolis. This gym is a community on its own. Team Birkie athletes can get in a super good strength session, some indoor sessions if the weather is icky and they have an incredible recovery room. Skiers need a gym, and this is a top notch one.
Precision Performance - physical therapy access is important for a large number of athletes. Precision’s support has been really incredible throughout these years and helped our athletes stay on top of their recovery needs and helped with any lingering aches or injuries.
Champion Mind - our mental coach resource, Abby from Champion Mind have been widely used amongst the team and provides that extra level of depth to an athlete. Therapy and mental coaching is often underestimated and Abby helps close that gap and is an incredible resource.
Minneapolis-based ski shops: Gear West, Pioneer Midwest and Finn Sisu have been great supporters of the team since the beginning and provide that extra level of support when it comes to equipment, ski analysis, unlimited use of rollerski treadmill access and so much more.
Swenor Rollerskis and Enjoy Winter are crucial parts of the teams summer and fall training as rollerskiing often takes up 50% of the time, and these rollerskis are top notch.
WAMXC and Lemons, community groups in and around the Twin Cities who are strong skiers and super supporters of Team Birkie.
We could not do it without all of the above, or the community behind us.
Photo: From Paul’s first podium in Anterselva, Italy.
Congratulations to Paul Schommer
We want to give a big shoutout to Team Birkie athlete Paul Schommer and congratulate him on an incredible career. Paul has decided to retire from his professional biathlon career this year and we are so proud of him.
Paul has been a very positive addition to the team and was the first athlete to biathlon to Team Birkie. His career is nothing short of impressive including qualifying for two Olympic Games (Beijing 2022 and Milano/Cortina 2026), 4 world championships, and an incredible list of World Cup results, IBU results and continental dominance.
This past season, Paul was a part of the US Biathlon relay team that placed 5th in the Olympics which was a historic placement for the mens biathlon team.
Not only that, Paul is a great person and he will be taking the summer to transition into the next stage in life where he will be working for Ariens Nordic Center and continue sharing from his list of experiences to the younger generation as well as translating what he has learned as a biathlete to help backcountry hunters get fit and mentally prepared to have success on their next hunt.
Lots of exciting things in this new life for Paul, and once again - congratulations.
Photo from one of Paul’s podiums in an international IBU race.
Photo: Team Birkie camp in Cable
LOOKING Ahead: Big Changes on the Horizon
As strong as this season has been, it’s only the beginning.
There is real momentum building within Team Birkie—behind the scenes and out in the open. New ideas, expanded support systems, and exciting developments are already taking shape. While we’re not ready to share all the details just yet, it’s safe to say that meaningful changes are on the way.
The foundation is stronger than ever. The vision is growing. And the belief in what this team can become continues to push forward.
Stay tuned—there’s more to come.
Thank you to everyone who continues to support Team Birkie—athletes, staff, partners, and the broader ski community. This season was one to remember, and the future is just getting started.
