ATHLETE PROFILE Curt Schreiner and Deborah Nordyke Home: Day (Corinth), NY Current Residence: Heber City, Utah Ages: Curt 34 and Deborah 39 Children: Jon 2 and Erik 8 months Occupation: Curt, U.S. Army Athlete Program, Army National Guard Deborah, U.S. Air Force National Guard Primary Sport: Biathlon

The Endless Winter...

While it is easy to understand the appeal of a surfer's endless summer, for many of us it requires more imagination to get excited over the prospect of a perpetual winter. But not for Curt Schreiner and Deborah Nordyke, at least not as long as snow is in the forecast.

Determined to do their best, both for themselves and for their country in the 2002 Olympic Biathlon, they left their modernistic log house, which Curt built, and became gypsies in search of endless snow. Traveling first to Anchorage, Deborah's hometown, and then on to Utah, the couple is pursuing a rigorous training program en route to slots on the U.S. Biathlon Team.

Photo by Ken Kackman Courtesy of U.S. Biathlon Association

While such dedication is a matter of course for world-class athletes, Curt and Deborah stand out because they are doing all this while caring for two active children, 2-year-old Jon and 8-month-old Erik, a task that is a full-time job in its own right. They take their responsibilities in stride, with Deborah commenting that the kids help keep her "well-organized and focused."

Both Curt and Deborah need plenty of concentration to succeed in their chosen sport, which combines the aerobic intensity of a long-distance event with the mental precision of target shooting. In the biathlon, competitors pause at fixed intervals to take steady aim through the sights of their .22 caliber rifles. The luxury of collapsing after an all-out ski isn't theirs; they must arrive at each target calm and in control. While Curt and Deborah compete in their respective male and female divisions, both will be trying out for the longer distance race (20K men/15K women), the shorter sprints (10K men/7.5K women) and the pursuit sprint (12.5K men/10K women).

On a typical day, Curt and Deborah drop the boys off at day care and spend the mornings training together. In the afternoons, one will stay home with the boys and the other will go for a second workout. While in Anchorage, they concentrated on building their endurance base.

And no matter what, they always enjoy one "rest" day per week, when they sleep in, play with their sons and accomplish a myriad of household tasks. Despite not having the luxury to designate these tasks to a non-training spouse, Deborah feels the support and understanding they can give to each other far outweighs any minor logistical hassles. They are pursuing their dream, both equally and together.

They arrived at this sport through different paths. After a family trip to the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics, Curt and his brother were intrigued by the biathlon events. Since the Saratoga Springs area did not then have its own biathlon course, being a supportive Dad, Jim Schreiner decided to construct his own. He contacted a friend with a bulldozer, and the rest is history. Not only did the Schreiners have a place to train, the Saratoga Biathlon Club was born.

Deborah, on the other hand, despite having grown up in Alaska, had never shown much of an interest in skiing, preferring gymnastics and track. It wasn't until she joined the Air Force National Guard that some of her buddies persuaded her to try the biathlon. She became so adept at shooting on the run that her fellow airmen joked that she would do better at her military regulation target practices if she could run around a bit beforehand.

With it origins first as an efficient means of winter hunting and then later as a form of military attack and pursuit, it is no surprise that many biathletes receive support from their country's military establishments. According to Curt, this firmly entrenched military tradition is why the Europeans take more interest in the sport, where countries are small and border raids a part of recent history. That and the fact that our fast-paced American society produces athletes interested more in speed than in distance. "Just look at our runners," Curt commented. "With the exception of a few Frank Shorters, most of our Olympic success has been in the more explosive events."

While it is easier to stand out in a small crowd, Curt feels that this lack of competition has made it more difficult for him to hone his abilities. While not everyone is fortunate enough to live near a biathlon course, Curt recommends that interested young athletes join their school's cross-country ski team or a local Bill Koch Youth Ski League to learn basic technique, build endurance and experience competition.

Curt has competed in the 1988, 1992 and 1994 Olympics; Deborah made the 1998 team. After 2002, they feel it will be time for them to retire. Deborah might teach school; Curt might pursue further studies. Whatever course they choose, one of them will remain home with the children. Deborah says, "The sport of biathlon will always be special to us because of the opportunity we have had to challenge ourselves, measure our improvement, travel and meet wonderful people."

Whatever paths they choose to follow, the discipline, focus and enjoyment they have derived from their sport will surely stand them in good stead.

Update: Both Curt and Debbie failed to qualify of the U.S. Olympic Team, coming in 7th overall in their respective divisions. According to their brother, Jim Schreiner, they were "bummed out," but looking forward to their next competition, the World Military Biathlon Championships, where they will be competing against many of the same athletes. We wish them good luck!

For more information:
2002 Olympic Winter Games
U.S. Biathlon Association
Saratoga Biathlon Club

Laura Clark (Sar_clark@sals.edu), an avid trail runner, snowshoer and cross-country skier, is a Children's and Young Adult Librarian at the Saratoga Springs Public Library.