Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship, on assignment for the White River Valley Herald
In 2017, cross-country skier Katharine Ogden made history at the World Junior Championships, becoming the first American to win a medal in an individual race with her bronze finish.
But despite the success, Ogden was battling anxiety.
“That was in the height of when I was really struggling with my mental health when I was a teenager. So that’s why that wasn’t really a highlight for me,” Ogden said.
Ogden now works as a clinician at Mountain Valley Treatment Center in Plainfield, New Hampshire, treating anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder in teens. She also coaches youth-oriented athletic clubs and teams located in the Upper Valley.
As a social worker, Ogden combines her ability to connect to teens with the competitive mentality that helped her become a successful professional cross-country skier.
“That kind of circles back to part of why I like doing the job I do right now, because I can help kids that are in a situation I was in,” Ogden said.
She was introduced to cross-country skiing by her father when she was just 3 years old. His coaching style emphasized fun before anything else, something that’s left a lasting impression on her.
Ogden attended Stratton Mountain School, a southern Vermont high school known for college-preparatory academics and competitive skiing. In 2015 and 2016, she competed in the World Junior Ski Championships.
In 2017, Ogden took a gap year before college to focus on professional cross-country ski racing. Her hard work paid off when she became the first American to medal in the individual race at the World Junior Championship.
Then, she attended Dartmouth College, where she competed for the Dartmouth ski team. It’s a chapter she describes as the most fulfilling of her career. During her time with the Big Green, Ogden won all three NCAA Championships she entered.
“I loved ski racing for Dartmouth,” Ogden said. “The team took racing seriously but not so seriously that it sucked. They were all some of the coolest and most interesting people I’ve known in my life.”
After graduating from college, Ogden spent two intense years racing in the World Cup during the peak of the pandemic.
As the world stood still, so did her passion for professional skiing. She found herself drawn toward something deeper: a career in social work.
“I was good enough to qualify to be in the World Cup but not really good enough to do well once I got there, so I bounced back and forth a lot,” Ogden said.
She achieved top-20 and top-30 finishes throughout this time while simultaneously completing graduate school at the Columbia School of Social Work.
A year ago, she started as a clinician at Mountain Valley Treatment Center. The main method they use to treat anxiety and OCD in adolescents is called exposure and response prevention, also known as exposure therapy.
For example, someone who’s afraid to get their hands dirty may pet a bunny on the center’s farm, then wait a given amount of time to wash their hands.
“It’s kind of unique,” Ogden said, “there are some others that do some similar things but not really in the same way.”
A colleague of Ogden describes her as determined and motivated in her work.
“She knows what her clients need, and if she doesn’t, she’ll find out what they need and advocate for that,” said Camille Wrege, an occupational therapist at Mountain Valley Treatment Center.
In addition to her clinical work, Ogden also mentors young athletes. She coaches for Ford Sayre, a youth ski club in the Upper Valley, and Little Bellas, a non-competitive mountain biking program for girls 7 to 13.
Ogden uses the various techniques she’s been taught throughout her ski career to inform her coaching, one of which is her father’s focus on enjoyment in sports.
“He also was really good at connecting with kids and teenagers and also cared a ton about being a good role model for that population, so I think that’s definitely influenced me,” Ogden said.
Her coaching approach is level headed, said Amber Hannah, the mom of two girls Ogden helped coach.
Ogden balances the competitive aspect of sports with personal goals and above all, fun, she said.
“I think that’s a really good way to develop healthy habits in really competitive environments,” Hannah said.
This past winter, one daughter made the U16 Junior National Ski Team, and the other made the U.S. U18 Scando Cup Team, their mother said.
“While their achievements are the result of dedicated training and the guidance of incredible coaches, I can’t help but believe that their early experience with Katharine played a pivotal role,” she said.
“It’s difficult to overstate the impact of having a role model like Katharine Ogden,” she added.