Inspired by the stories shared with us during our 30th anniversary, we have created a living archive capture the stories of the people who founded NENSA, those who shaped our history and present moment, and the folks actively creating our future with new visions and ideas built upon our founding principles. This week, we’re sharing reflections from Olympian, former Great Glen BKL Club Leader, and multi-time BKL Festival host, Sue Wemyss.
Connections to NENSA and years involved
I moved back to New England in 1992 and started coaching xc in the Mountain Valley, Maine public school system. I was present at that meeting at Stratton where NENSA was founded. I moved from Rumford to the Gorham, NH area in 2001, started working at Great Glen Trails, including helping out with the BKL Club that met there on Sundays. When the main parent leader moved away, I took over leadership of the Great Glen BKL Club. This was in the early 2000’s. Our club was very recreational skiing-oriented, as opposed to being race-oriented. But most years I’d convince some families to go to the New England BKL Festival. While the kids were “newbies” when it came to racing, I felt that their coming to the Festival, seeing and meeting all these other kids that loved to do this same activity that they did, and taking part in the fun activities of the Festival, was really worthwhile. It connected us with the larger community of New England skiers, a community I have cherished.
What has skiing in New England meant to your life or your community?
I love the sport of cross country! And I love the people I have met through skiing. I think there’s a very strong bond between xc skiers through our love of being outdoors in nature, and gliding on snow. My skiing roots are in New England, but I feel this bond much further afield–strong connections with skiers throughout the country and throughout the international ski community as well. (I’ve just returned from a cross-the-country road trip to ski new places. A couple highlights from this trip were seeing and spending time with a fellow Olympian in California, and two fellow Canadians who I raced with in the 1980s!)
Can you share a moment that embodies the spirit of New England skiing?
Great Glen hosted the New England BKL Festival for the first time in 2012. I was the Event Director. It was a lot of work and I’m not an experienced event director by any means! I lost lots of sleep over the months leading up to it, and put in lots of time and effort. But it was all so worthwhile when that weekend arrived and over 600 kids and their families came to Great Glen and enjoyed what we had to offer. I remember looking out from the lodge and seeing hundreds of kids and their families, playing on the snow–skiing, tubing, horsing around, having fun. It was the happiest of all my days working at Great Glen, and I had many, many happy days there in my job as the Ski School Director.
What does NENSA mean to you?
NENSA provides opportunities to be a part of a larger ski community and share the enjoyment of cross country skiing.
