Goessling hopes to go for gold

ESKO, Minn. - Nordic, or cross country skiing is what Raleigh Goessling loves to do.

"I've always really enjoyed it, its my passion," said Goessling.  "I just kept getting more and more serious progressing, and here I am."

Where Goessling is, is in some pretty elite company.  After finishing second as a junior last year, the senior from Esko won the Minnesota high school Nordic Skiing state championship.

"I was really psyched to get second last year, but to win is really special," he said after the race.

Goessling's background in nordic skiing has also led him to biathlon.  In fact, Goessling is one of the top junior biathletes in the country.

"There's a lot of opportunity in biathlon to go abroad and compete," said Goessling.  "It was just kind of a natural extension."

Biathlon, and nordic skiing, aren't nearly as popular in the United States as they are abroad, so while a number of coaches help Goessling, for the most part they're volunteers.

"Coaching Raleigh is just an easy, easy thing to do," said Cloquet-Esko-Carlton Nordic Coach Les martin.  "He's a smart kid, he's a smart skier, and he knows what he needs to do to be competitive at this level."
"We're always incredibly appreciative to all the coaches that come out, volunteer their time, and work with the kids everyday," added Maura Goessling, Raleigh's mother.  "It doesn't happen without the coaches that are in there sharing their experiences."

But on the course, you're by yourself.  So fittingly its Goessling that pushes himself the hardest.

"Just about every day after school I'm out training," he says.  "To be a high level athlete, you really have to put in the time.  The guys we're going to see in the Olympics are training 1,000 hours plus."
"He's incredibly dedicated to nordic skiing and biathlon," adds Maura Goessling.  "He is probably one of the most self–motivated athletes I know."

The United States has never won a biathlon olympic medal.  Goessling would like to change that someday, but knows there are no guarantees.

"I'm not going to make any predictions," he said.  "I'm really just going to try keep training as well as I can."
"He's got every opportunity," adds Martin.  "He was the best junior this year, and he's only going to get better."

But between now and a possible Oolympic appearance, there's a lot of hard work to do, and a lot of fun to be had.

"To be at a high level it really requires a lot of work," said Goessling.  "If you're not into it and you're not loving it, then it just becomes a grind, its not fun."

And fun after all is the name of the game.