Malacinski’s long-term goals are to not only be an Olympic and World Champion but to also claim the Men’s Nordic Combined crystal globe. His personal sports philosophy is “it’s all mental”, and at just 18, he’s well on his way to making his dreams a reality. He loves to cross-train and will incorporate running, swimming, and biking into his program.

A dual citizen in Finland and the United States, Malacinski is fluent in Finnish, English, and German. His sister, Annika, is a member of the Women’s Nordic Combined National Team. Outside of training, Malacinski enjoys fishing and skateboarding.

Carter Brubaker, affectionately known as Cardi B, started his ski career as an alpine skier, before dabbling in nordic skiing. His older brother Ryan began in Nordic Combined, and Brubaker decided to follow in his footsteps. Surrounded by a family of athletes and passionate skiers in Anchorage, Alaska, it wasn’t hard for Brubaker to stay motivated.

Growing up, Brubaker idolized Alaska Winter Stars alumni Gus Schumacher and his father, Michael. He now splits his time between Anchorage and Lillehammer, Norway, where he attends the Norwegian College of Elite Sport (NTG).

Thus far in his career, Brubaker has sustained no major injuries, other than a burst appendix at the Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne, Switzerland, where he was subsequently hospitalized for eight days.

A knack for Nordic Combined runs in Annika Malacinski’s blood. Her father Stephen was a ski instructor, and her mother, Essi hailed from a small town in the arctic circle of Finland. Both Annika and her brother, Nordic Combined National Team member, Niklas Malacinski, were on skis since the time they could walk, both downhill, and cross country. Annika’s career as an athlete began as a gymnast, but when she tried ski jumping for the first time at 16, she fell in love with the feeling of flying. Before every jump, she repeats her mantra, “I am strong. I can do this.” Then, she flys.

Annika qualified for the national team in 2018, overcame a couple of shoulder injuries, and made history competing in the first-ever Women’s Nordic Combined World Cup and World Championships in the 2020/21 season. She hopes to one day qualify for the Olympics.

Alexa Brabec was a member of the first team of women to represent the United States in Nordic Combined at a World Championship event. She also competed in the 2020 Youth Olympics. One day, she hopes to compete at the Olympics on the world stage.

Brabec is a huge soccer fan, and growing up, she idolized U.S. Women’s National Team Member, Tobin Heath. Brabec still plays in the spring and the fall as cross-training for skiing. Her sister, Haley, is also a Nordic Combined athlete.

For every competition, Brabec must be wearing mismatched socks. She’s never suffered any major injuries, only faceplanted a couple of times.