Fox returns from biathlon camps

The Biathlon World Championships 2019, held in Ostersund, Sweden, had over 30,000 spectators in attendance. Among the thousands of biathlon fans were Cashmere residents, biathlete Bella Fox and her father, Travis Fox.

Bella Fox recently returned from a biathlon camp held in Ostersund, hosted by the International Biathlon Union (IBU). She was one of two athletes representing the U.S. at camp, which she said had about 35 other kids from different countries. One of the first things Fox remembers about the camp was how many different languages were spoken by the other kids attending the camp.

Prior to her journey to Ostersund, Bella Fox attended another biathlon camp in February held at the Soldier Hollow Nordic Center in Utah during the IBU World Cup. Bella Fox is no stranger to traveling for biathlon. She has participated in biathlon camps throughout her time in the sport, including a week-long camp in Bozeman, Montana, last summer. She has also traveled to Canada for biathlon competitions and skied at Olympic venues.

During her time in Utah, Bella Fox raced on Soldier Hollow's world championship course, which she noted was difficult for her because she was skiing at a higher elevation. She also stayed a large house with the other 15 athletes attending the camp with her.

Bella Fox was introduced to biathlon when she was younger and she instantly fell in love with the sport. Her biathlon days began with with the Methow Valley Biathlon team in Winthrop, Washington. Her introduction to the sport included safety training, and learning how to handle a rifle. She also made friends with many of the kids on the Winthrop team, and at the camps and competitions she has attended. Competing in biathlon has taught her discipline, time management, how to multitask and perform under pressure. 

Over the years, Bella Fox and her father had watched the biathlon world championships on television. The Biathlon World Championships 2019 was the first time they attended the event in person.

"You got to see the athletes' faces and sense the really big competition (atmosphere)," said Bella Fox, describing her experience in attending the World Championships."

"You really see the efforts put in by each, individual athlete," Travis Fox added. "The whole vibe is amazing. It was such a cool experience."

Travis Fox, who competed in biathlon when he was younger and introduced the sport to his daughter, noted the IBU World Cup race had around 2,000 spectators. It was smaller number compared to the 20,000-30,000 people who attended the World Championships in Osterlund.

"Just in the grandstands alone (one day) there were 20,000 people, and that didn't include the people on the race course and other places," Travis Fox said. "On that day there had to be at least 25,000-30,000 people in all."

In addition to attending the World Championships, Bella Fox had a chance to ski on a world championship course in Ostersund, which she described as her favorite moment of her trip.

"I didn't win anything, but I had a lot of fun," Bella Fox added.

She also met some of the athletes competing in the World Championships, and participated in the flag ceremony for the United States team.

Both Bella and Travis Fox said European fans were friendly toward them, and met new, friendly faces each day they were in Sweden. Travis Fox added that many European biathlon fans were delighted to see American fans travel to Sweden for the event, and show a genuine appreciation for the sport.

At both camps, Bella Fox received some training and advice from top biathletes, Olympians and world champions. She also obtained some skiing tips from a former Swedish biathlete who now coaches athletes.

"The Swedish and Norwegian competitors are much better skiers and they usually dominate biathlon and Nordic skiing events," Bella Fox added.

She also learned some racing and shooting techniques by observing world-class biathlon competitors.

"Watching some of the world class competitors race and how they shoot, they're very quick in their shooting and they're very precise," Bella Fox added. "Watching them, you can get a sense of how to gain better control of your shooting."

Another highlight for Bella Fox during her time in Sweden was when she and other athletes were selected to have dinner with Sweden Prime Minister Stefan Löfven and IBU President Olle Dahlin. In addition to meeting top biathlon competitors and luminaries at both camps, Bella Fox came away with some new friends from the United States and other countries. 

Travis Fox felt the experience was both great for him, and Bella.

"Going to Northern Europe where biathlon originated from to actually be surrounded by the true, real fans," Travis Fox said. "To see it was a fun experience. I can't wait for all of us to go back."