Tomorrow, the Visma Ski Classics podcast Orsa2Levi has an in-depth chat with Team XPND Fuel’s Emilie Fleten, who talks about skiing, training, her childhood, her personal life and how she overcame eating disorder.

This outspoken athlete finished third in the Champion competition last season. She was a regular face on the podium, but she is still chasing her first Pro Tour stage victory. She believes that the upcoming season could be the one she has been waiting for. Her significant other Andrew Musgrave, a successful World Cup skier, feeds her with positivity, and together they are looking forward to the new winter and life beyond that.

“Looking back now, I’m quite satisfied with my last season because it was only my second one in Visma Ski Classics. Of course, I really wanted a victory, and at Årefjällsloppet I was really close. Last season, I either wasn’t strong enough or smart enough, but I learned a lot about myself and how to race. I did my best, and maybe I could have done something differently, but no regrets. I’m motivated and ready for the new season,” Emilie says about Season XI on Orsa2Levi.

On the podcast episode, Emilie also recalls the start of her career and how she moved from traditional skiing into the world of long distances and what she needed to do in order to succeed. She talks about the three different Pro Teams she has represented, and what she has learned from each one of them. She is now very happy with Tord Asle Gjerdalen’s Team XPND Fuel, and she has high hopes for the team in a long run.

“Tord and I were in the same team when I was in Team Ragde Eiendom, and I got to know him. It was a natural move for me to talk to him when the future of Team Koteng was still uncertain. It wasn’t that serious at the beginning, but we talked more, and it became a real option for me. The team wanted to expand and get more girls, and I had great results, which made it easy for them to take me in.”

During the podcast interview, Emilie talks about her training methods and how they have changed since she stepped into the Visma Ski Classics arena. She also walks down memory lane and reminisce about her youth and how skiing became a part of her life. She met her partner Andrew Musgrave about 11 years ago, and they seem to be a perfect match.

“We met at a training center in Lillehammer when we both lived there. We talked about some races and skiing, and it was me who talked to him first. Then, we met in some races. So, I did all the work, and he did nothing. It was love at first sight for me, but I’m not sure if that was the case with him,” Emilie says laughing. 

On the podcast, you get have an up-close and personal look on this talented skier who opens up about her struggle with eating disorder and many other things. Orsa2Levi is available on all podcast platforms and on Pro XC Skiing & Visma Ski Classics websites.