Colorado University Athletics
Joanne Reid atop the podium in her final college race, becoming an Individual NCAA Champion and helping secure the largest final-day comeback in NCAA history as the Buffs took the home the team title, as well.
Joanne Reid: A Hall of Famer Aiming for One More Olympic Run
November 11, 2025 | Skiing
GRAND JUNCTION — When Joanne Reid walks across the stage later this month to join the University of Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame, it won't feel like an ending. For the two-time Olympian and former CU national champion, it's actually the start of something new.
Because Reid isn't done racing.
In fact, as she prepares for her induction into Colorado Athletics' highest honor, she is simultaneously training for a comeback — a renewed quest to qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. The goal, like everything she's ever done, is ambitious. But then again, so is Joanne Reid.
Her life has been defined by motion — forward, upward, and often against the odds. It's a story of endurance and intellect, of skiing and scholarship, of courage in competition and grace in adversity. And, as with so many great Buffs stories, it began right here in Boulder.
________________________________________
From Boulder to the Summit
Reid arrived at CU in 2010 already steeped in the language of elite sport. The daughter of Olympic bronze medalist Beth Heiden and niece of five-time gold medalist Eric Heiden, she had athletic greatness in her lineage — but she forged her own identity on the cross-country trails of the NCAA circuit.
Under coaches Bruce Cranmer and Jana Weinberger, along with program director Richard Rokos, she became one of the most decorated Nordic skiers in CU history.
By the time she graduated in 2013, Reid had captured 11 career wins, 20 podium finishes, and seven All-America honors, five of them first-team. She helped lead the Buffaloes to two NCAA Championships (2011, 2013), won the 2013 RMISA Women's Nordic MVP, and claimed the NCAA individual freestyle title that same year.
Her 2013 season remains legendary — nine wins in twelve races, two runner-up finishes (both to CU teammates), and only one result outside the top three, a fourth-place showing at NCAAs after missing the wax. Two days after that race, she stormed back to dominate the 15K freestyle, winning the individual NCAA Championship while leading the Buffs to the largest final-day comeback in NCAA skiing history.
Even with that resume, Reid's ambitions extended beyond the trail. She earned her undergraduate degree in applied mathematics, one of CU's most demanding majors, followed by a master's in engineering, and later a second graduate degree in mental-health counseling. It's the kind of portfolio that, if it belonged to anyone else, might have signaled the end of an athletic career. For Reid, it was just the prelude.
________________________________________
A Second Stage: From College Star to Olympian
After leaving Boulder, Reid found a new challenge in biathlon — the rare hybrid of endurance skiing and rifle marksmanship. In less than a year, she'd earned a spot on the U.S. National Team. In 2018, she made her Olympic debut in PyeongChang, followed by a return trip to Beijing 2022, establishing herself as one of America's most consistent and experienced biathletes.
Over that stretch, she competed in more than 140 World Cup races and earned six U.S. national titles. The sport's balance of speed and stillness — sprinting into the range, heart racing, then steadying her breath to hit a target 50 meters away — mirrored the equilibrium she's long pursued in life.
________________________________________
Strength Beyond the Spotlight
Reid's career has also demanded a different kind of strength. In recent years, she helped bring to light a pattern of harassment and abuse within U.S. Biathlon, reported extensively by the Associated Press in a series of articles.
She has never sought to be defined by that chapter, yet her openness and perseverance have inspired others. The Colorado Biathlon Club now honors her with the annual Joanne Reid Women's Festival, giving women a safe, supportive place to discover the sport she has dedicated her life to.
Through it all, Reid has continued to compete, to speak quietly but powerfully, and to model what true resilience looks like.
In fact, a new documentary titled Line of Fire recently debuted, exploring the experiences of women in biathlon featured around Reid's experiences, and several others, as well. Filmed in Colorado and helmed by documentary-maker Cameron Kirkegaard, the film showcases the "lack of accountability, wealth of complicity and profusion of ignorance" surrounding the sport — and the efforts to shine a light on what was once hidden.
________________________________________
The Comeback: Setting Her Aim on Italy
Now, as she steps back into the national spotlight, Reid is revealing something new: she's not finished.
"For me, coming back isn't just about competition — it's about taking back something that I loved," Reid said. "Biathlon has given me incredible moments and incredibly hard ones, but it's still mine. Being back on snow feels like choosing it again, on my own terms."
Her training base is back in the Rocky Mountains, where it all began, and her focus is clear: make one final push toward the 2026 Winter Games in Italy. Few biathletes return to world-class form after stepping away, but Reid has built a career out of defying precedent.
"Joanne's story is one of resilience and a drive to succeed," said CU Nordic coach Jana Weinberger. "She has an undergraduate degree in one of the hardest majors at CU, a graduate degree from CU and a second graduate degree, been a professional biathlete for two Olympic Games and been through what no athlete should have to while competing at the highest levels. Her comeback is amazing — everybody in Buff Nation will be cheering her on as she sets her aim on Italy."
For Reid, the comeback is about rediscovering the rhythm of training, the clarity of competition and the joy that first drew her to the sport. It's about proving that the drive to compete doesn't fade — it just changes form.
________________________________________
Full Circle
The CU Athletic Hall of Fame celebrates excellence, but Reid's induction captures something even rarer — the courage to begin again.
From the snow-dusted trails above Boulder to Olympic ranges across the world, she has carried Colorado's values with her: intelligence, grit, humility and heart.
And now, more than a decade after she first left campus as a national champion, Joanne Reid is still chasing the finish line — not because she hasn't reached enough of them, but because she refuses to believe there's ever truly a last one.
________________________________________
Hall of Fame Highlights: Joanne Reid
Sport: Skiing (Nordic, 2010–13)
Hometown: Palo Alto, Calif.
CU Degrees: B.A. in Applied Mathematics, 2013; M.S. in Engineering, 2017
Other Degrees: M.S. in Mental Health Counseling, 2025 (Rocky Mountain University)
CU Accolades:
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Because Reid isn't done racing.
In fact, as she prepares for her induction into Colorado Athletics' highest honor, she is simultaneously training for a comeback — a renewed quest to qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. The goal, like everything she's ever done, is ambitious. But then again, so is Joanne Reid.
Her life has been defined by motion — forward, upward, and often against the odds. It's a story of endurance and intellect, of skiing and scholarship, of courage in competition and grace in adversity. And, as with so many great Buffs stories, it began right here in Boulder.
________________________________________
From Boulder to the Summit
Reid arrived at CU in 2010 already steeped in the language of elite sport. The daughter of Olympic bronze medalist Beth Heiden and niece of five-time gold medalist Eric Heiden, she had athletic greatness in her lineage — but she forged her own identity on the cross-country trails of the NCAA circuit.
Under coaches Bruce Cranmer and Jana Weinberger, along with program director Richard Rokos, she became one of the most decorated Nordic skiers in CU history.
By the time she graduated in 2013, Reid had captured 11 career wins, 20 podium finishes, and seven All-America honors, five of them first-team. She helped lead the Buffaloes to two NCAA Championships (2011, 2013), won the 2013 RMISA Women's Nordic MVP, and claimed the NCAA individual freestyle title that same year.
Her 2013 season remains legendary — nine wins in twelve races, two runner-up finishes (both to CU teammates), and only one result outside the top three, a fourth-place showing at NCAAs after missing the wax. Two days after that race, she stormed back to dominate the 15K freestyle, winning the individual NCAA Championship while leading the Buffs to the largest final-day comeback in NCAA skiing history.
Even with that resume, Reid's ambitions extended beyond the trail. She earned her undergraduate degree in applied mathematics, one of CU's most demanding majors, followed by a master's in engineering, and later a second graduate degree in mental-health counseling. It's the kind of portfolio that, if it belonged to anyone else, might have signaled the end of an athletic career. For Reid, it was just the prelude.
________________________________________
A Second Stage: From College Star to Olympian
After leaving Boulder, Reid found a new challenge in biathlon — the rare hybrid of endurance skiing and rifle marksmanship. In less than a year, she'd earned a spot on the U.S. National Team. In 2018, she made her Olympic debut in PyeongChang, followed by a return trip to Beijing 2022, establishing herself as one of America's most consistent and experienced biathletes.
Over that stretch, she competed in more than 140 World Cup races and earned six U.S. national titles. The sport's balance of speed and stillness — sprinting into the range, heart racing, then steadying her breath to hit a target 50 meters away — mirrored the equilibrium she's long pursued in life.
________________________________________
Strength Beyond the Spotlight
Reid's career has also demanded a different kind of strength. In recent years, she helped bring to light a pattern of harassment and abuse within U.S. Biathlon, reported extensively by the Associated Press in a series of articles.
She has never sought to be defined by that chapter, yet her openness and perseverance have inspired others. The Colorado Biathlon Club now honors her with the annual Joanne Reid Women's Festival, giving women a safe, supportive place to discover the sport she has dedicated her life to.
Through it all, Reid has continued to compete, to speak quietly but powerfully, and to model what true resilience looks like.
In fact, a new documentary titled Line of Fire recently debuted, exploring the experiences of women in biathlon featured around Reid's experiences, and several others, as well. Filmed in Colorado and helmed by documentary-maker Cameron Kirkegaard, the film showcases the "lack of accountability, wealth of complicity and profusion of ignorance" surrounding the sport — and the efforts to shine a light on what was once hidden.
________________________________________
The Comeback: Setting Her Aim on Italy
Now, as she steps back into the national spotlight, Reid is revealing something new: she's not finished.
"For me, coming back isn't just about competition — it's about taking back something that I loved," Reid said. "Biathlon has given me incredible moments and incredibly hard ones, but it's still mine. Being back on snow feels like choosing it again, on my own terms."
Her training base is back in the Rocky Mountains, where it all began, and her focus is clear: make one final push toward the 2026 Winter Games in Italy. Few biathletes return to world-class form after stepping away, but Reid has built a career out of defying precedent.
"Joanne's story is one of resilience and a drive to succeed," said CU Nordic coach Jana Weinberger. "She has an undergraduate degree in one of the hardest majors at CU, a graduate degree from CU and a second graduate degree, been a professional biathlete for two Olympic Games and been through what no athlete should have to while competing at the highest levels. Her comeback is amazing — everybody in Buff Nation will be cheering her on as she sets her aim on Italy."
For Reid, the comeback is about rediscovering the rhythm of training, the clarity of competition and the joy that first drew her to the sport. It's about proving that the drive to compete doesn't fade — it just changes form.
________________________________________
Full Circle
The CU Athletic Hall of Fame celebrates excellence, but Reid's induction captures something even rarer — the courage to begin again.
From the snow-dusted trails above Boulder to Olympic ranges across the world, she has carried Colorado's values with her: intelligence, grit, humility and heart.
And now, more than a decade after she first left campus as a national champion, Joanne Reid is still chasing the finish line — not because she hasn't reached enough of them, but because she refuses to believe there's ever truly a last one.
________________________________________
Hall of Fame Highlights: Joanne Reid
Sport: Skiing (Nordic, 2010–13)
Hometown: Palo Alto, Calif.
CU Degrees: B.A. in Applied Mathematics, 2013; M.S. in Engineering, 2017
Other Degrees: M.S. in Mental Health Counseling, 2025 (Rocky Mountain University)
CU Accolades:
- 2013 NCAA Individual Champion (15K Freestyle)
- 7x All-American (5 First-Team)
- 2x NCAA Team Champion (2011, 2013)
- 2013 RMISA Women's Nordic MVP
- 11 career victories, 20 podiums, 36 top-10 finishes in 39 starts
- U.S. National Biathlon Team (2016–Present)
- 2x Olympian (2018 PyeongChang, 2022 Beijing)
- 6x U.S. National Biathlon Champion
- 140+ World Cup starts
- 2026 Olympic hopeful (Italy)
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