EBS STAFF
Jessie Diggins, the most decorated cross country skier in U.S. history, will speak at Montana State University on Thursday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m. in the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the event is free and open to the public, with tickets available in advance online.
The talk is co-sponsored by MSU and the Bridger Ski Foundation, a Bozeman-based nonprofit that runs ski programs for about 1,000 youth and maintains roughly 90 kilometers of local cross country trails. Diggins is expected to speak about her athletic career as well as her advocacy for mental health awareness, including her own experience with an eating disorder.
Diggins, 35, grew up in Afton, Minnesota, and retired from competitive skiing in 2026. Over her career she won four Olympic medals including the first U.S. Olympic gold in cross country skiing, earned with teammate Kikkan Randall in the 2018 team sprint, along with four overall World Cup titles, seven World Championship medals, 33 individual World Cup race wins and 90 total podiums. She is a three-time Tour de Ski champion, the author of the memoir “Brave Enough,” the subject of the 2026 documentary “Threshold,” and a board member of the climate advocacy nonprofit Protect Our Winters.
“We are excited for the opportunity to welcome Jessie Diggins to MSU to share her inspiring story with us,” said Betsy Asserson, MSU associate vice president of student wellness. “Jessie’s openness about her experiences with an eating disorder and mental health challenges helps reduce stigma and brings important conversations into the open. Her story encourages people to seek help, support one another, and recognize that recovery is possible. It also reminds us that people are more than their struggles, or their accomplishments.”
The event is sponsored by several MSU offices and colleges, including Student Wellness, MSU Athletics and the Office of the President.
