![American Jack Hegman (SVSEF) racing to 24th in the men's 15 k freestyle on Thursday at 2017 U23 World Championships at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah. (Photo: FlyingPointRoad.com)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2017/02/SMF3662.jpg")
In an effort to showcase the North Americans competing at this week’s International Ski Federation (FIS) 2017 USANA Nordic Junior World Championships and U23 Cross Country World Championships at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah, we asked those qualifying athletes several questions about themselves — actually, we had them fill in the blanks. Here we have 22-year-old Jack Hegman, of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation (SVSEF) Gold Team, who’s representing the U.S. at his first U23 Worlds.
On Saturday, Hegman raced to 11th in the men’s 30 k skiathlon on the final day of U23 World Championships at Soldier Hollow. Earlier this week, he placed 24th in the men’s 15 k freestyle and 28th in the classic sprint.
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“My full name is John, but you can call me Jack. I was born in Randolph, Vt., raised in Huntington, Vt., and one thing you should know about my hometown is that it is home to the 3rd tallest mountain in VT.
I started cross-country skiing when I was ten, thanks to my older brother. I currently train in Sun Valley, Idaho, with SVSEF Gold Team.
If I’m not skiing, you might find me beating Cole Morgan at squash. If I had to pick a favorite book, it would be ‘Into Thin Air‘.
![American Jack Hegman (23) mixing it up in the rounds of the men's classic sprint at 2017 U23 World Championships on Jan. 31 at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah. He took sixth in his quarterfinal to place 28th on the day. (Photo: FlyingPointRoad.com)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2017/02/SMF7442.jpg")
One of the things I’m most excited about for U23/Junior Worlds at Soldier Hollow is the sunshine. One race I’m especially targeting there is the 15 k skate.
The best advice anyone ever gave me about skiing or racing was ‘Go in’. One of the best race memories I have is 2012 Stratton Equalizer.
If I could meet one World Cup skier, it would be Matthew Gelso.
If I don’t end up being a professional skier, I’ll probably be a professional squash player.”
