Three-Time member of US Olympic Ski Team
Minnesota Native
Most-recent Team Ortho Event: Minneapolis Duathlon

Summer of 2009 Kristina Koznick was able to spend some time in the Twin Cities. The fantastic skier (now retired) who made a name for herself on the slopes in the late 90s and early 00s now lives in Colorado. But while she was in the Twin Cities recently, she made time for Team Ortho and her first duathlon.

Koznick signed up for the Du with a friend earlier this summer and then came to one of our free training sessions. "It was unbelievably helpful," Koznick said. The training taught Koznick and the other racers what to think about during their transitions and how to save time during them. "Going through the training session really put me at ease because...I knew what to expect on race day."

The August race ended up being unseasonably cool for that time of year - perfect weather for a duathlon. She recalled how the event welcomed everyone who wanted to participate, "There were people of all shapes, sizes, fitness levels etc... What a cool event!" When race time came, Koznick was ready; finishing the 3 mile run, 18 mile bike (she calls this her stronger sport) and 3 mile run with no problem. "It was very challenging," Koznick said. "BUT, the great part about it is that you could make it only as challenging as you wanted it to be." One challenge she hadn't quite prepared for was when she dropped her water bottle about 2 miles into the bike portion of the race. "Getting off the bike and running the wrong direction to grab the water bottle and get back on the bike, not a good idea," she recalled.

Despite the water bottle trouble, the Minneapolis Duathlon just might have hooked her! Koznick now is looking for more duathlons in her future. We can't wait to have her back at our own event.