Jessica Yeaton

Hi friends! I’m Jessica Yeaton,  a two-time Olympian for cross-country skiing and Doctor of Physical Therapy student at the University of New Mexico.

I was born in Perth, Australia, but I grew up all over the world. I started skiing when I moved to Alaska at age 12, and it has been a passion I have pursued ever since. I studied Exercise Science at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana, where I earned All-American honors during my senior year. After graduating, I moved back to Anchorage to ski professionally for the Alaska Pacific University (APU) Nordic Ski Center. I graduated with a second degree in Counseling Psychology from APU in May of 2016. I worked part-time as a barista, and owe many of my accomplishments to a state of constant caffeination fueled by single-origin espresso.

During this time, I competed in three World Championships and the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeong Chang for Team Australia, where I placed 12th in the Team Sprint.  Other standout results during this time include 22nd place in the 2019 World Championships 20k skiathlon in Austria, 30th place in the 2019 Holmenkollen 30k classic, and multiple podium results at US National Championships. In addition, I pursued mountain running during this time and was the 2018 Mount Marathon Champion.

In August 2019, I moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I am currently studying towards earning my Doctorate in Physical Therapy at the University of New Mexico. I have continued to pursue ski racing while being a full-time student. I became the first Australian woman to complete the Tour De Ski; I then became the 2020 American Birkiebeiner champion. During my third year of PT school, I competed in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. I placed 31st in the 15k Skiathlon at these games, which is the best ever individual result achieved at an Olympic games by an Australian athlete.

I am currently working towards finishing my DPT while training for ski racing. I am also an avid mountain biker and ride for Pivot Cycles. My summer calendar includes as many mountain bike races as a I can fit in between clinical rotations and exams 🙂

-JJ