Jack Young is On the Rise

Jack Young is one of the strongest sprinters in the U.S., but his success didn’t happen overnight; in fact, it didn’t happen for years. In high school, he traded in the baseball glove and the football pads to chase something out of the ordinary – cross country ski racing. Fast-forward, the former football QB turned five-time Vermont state cross country ski champ, and the first-ever Colby College skier to be named to the Stifel U.S. Ski Team, is now one of the fastest sprinters in the country. He was named to the Stifel. U.S. Cross Country Ski Team through a non-traditional route, and it was never if he was going to make an impact on the U.S. cross country scene; it was a matter of when. 

Now, Young has represented his country at the 2025 World Championships in Trondheim, Norway, consistently qualified for FIS World Cup sprint heats and placed in the top 30 in the world more than once; one would assume that Young made the right decision by choosing skiing all those years ago. Representing the Craftsbury Green Racing Project out of Vermont, and starting his second year on the Stifel U.S. Ski Team, Young is looking to accomplish a goal any athlete in the world dreams of – making Team USA and representing his country at the Olympic Winter Games. But for Young, it’s all about the moments that got him here, the people who inspired him, like his sister Callie Young, and the unconventional journey that led him to compete at the highest level of the sport. 

Young is the latest athlete featured in U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s “On the Rise” series, presented by Zions Bank. Through community service, sponsorships and charitable donations, Zions Bank is committed to fueling economic growth and enhancing the quality of life in Idaho, Utah and Wyoming.

What initially drew you to the sport?
I was drawn to the sport initially through a BKL (Bill Koch League) in Newport, VT, close to my hometown of Jay, VT. This is where my mom first took my older sister and I to learn how to cross country ski. I immediately loved the individual competition — especially in shorter races. 

When you were younger and getting into the sport, what were your goals? 
When I was younger, my goals were mostly about having fun and improving. I played all of the sports when I was a kid, so skiing wasn't the most important part of my life. In other words, I wasn't expecting to be the best then. I wanted to have fun competing and get a little better every year. 

What is your biggest accomplishment?
My biggest accomplishment in my skiing career is qualifying for heats in all seven world cup and World Championship skate sprints last winter. Since it was my first time going to Europe and by far the longest time I'd been on the road, I wasn't expecting to be so consistently successful. I'm always aiming for consistency, so that string of top 30s in my mind is more impressive than any single, better result I had last year. 

What is your ultimate goal? 
My ultimate goal is to unlock my genetic potential fully. There will be countless results goals along the way that I measure year-to-year, but when I retire from this sport, I want to feel like I have left no stone unturned. I want to do everything in my power to compete at the highest level possible.

Who are your heroes? Both in & out of the sport.
My heroes are David Ortiz, Tom Brady, and my older sister, Callie Young. Ortiz is my favorite athlete of all time because of how clutch he was in important situations. He handled pressure better than almost any athlete ever, which allowed him to lead the redsox to multiple World Series championships in my lifetime. Brady is one of my heroes because of his consistency and longevity. He is a poster child for doing everything in his power to consistently perform much longer into life than most other professional athletes. Callie is my ultimate hero because she has always been my role model. When we were younger, she always competed at a higher level than I did in skiing. Her work ethic back in those days inspired me to get better. I certainly wouldn't be where I am today without her as my number one childhood training partner. 

You win $5,000 in prize money: What do you do with it?
I will likely throw most of it in my retirement fund. However, I also want to get a nice espresso machine. So $5,000 minus an espresso machine would go into my retirement account. 

Do you budget or follow any structure related to spending?
I do... somewhat. It's very important in this line of work because of how unsteady and unreliable the income is. However, I could do a better job of this.

What’s one money habit you follow?
I always make sure to set aside a portion of my taxable income for retirement. Sometimes its more than other times, but every bit counts.

Follow Jack on Instagram and follow along through his 2025-26 season.