![Nichole Bathe (Left) and Jesse Knori. (Photo courtesy of Bernie Nelson)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2017/01/Nichole-Bathe-e1485544483465.png")
In an effort to showcase the North Americans competing at next 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 21-year-old Nichole Bathe, of University of Alaska Fairbanks and CXC Team, who’s representing the U.S. at her first U23 World Championships after having raced at 2014 Junior Worlds.
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“My full name is Nichole Bathe, but you can call me Nichole.
I was born in Madison, Wi, raised in Madison, and one thing you should know about my hometown is, go Badgers!! I started cross-country skiing when I was around 12, thanks to Yuriy Gusev and my dad.
I currently train in Fairbanks, Alaska, with University of Alaska Fairbanks and also the CXC Team.
If I’m not skiing, you might find me eating cheese and chocolate in a papasan chair. If I had to pick a favorite book, it would be ‘Bossypants’ by Tina Fey.
One of the things I’m most excited about for U23/Junior Worlds at Soldier Hollow is that it’s on home soil, and my coaches get to watch! One race I’m especially targeting there is the classic sprint.
The best advice anyone ever gave me about skiing or racing was ‘stay relaxed, stay tough’ –Christina Turman. One of the best race memories I have is the first time I beat my dad in a hometown race.
If I could meet one World Cup skier, it would be Heidi Weng.
If I don’t end up being a professional skier, I’ll probably be a social worker.
I’m missing 10 of school to be here, and my professors are probably thinking, ‘Good luck graduating this year, haha.’
You can follow me on Instagram @nichbathe, or Twitter @cholebathe.”
