Introducing New Running Director, Susan Dunklee
Sus strides out on Town Highway 19.
The Craftsbury Outdoor Center is pleased to welcome our new running director: Susan Dunklee. It feels a bit odd to tie the word “new” to Sus who’s been a mainstay of the Center for the past decade or so on the GRP biathlon squad - and has been skiing at Craftsbury since grade school.
This new chapter for Susan will open effective September 1. Dunklee will continue to train to represent the US internationally in biathlon, including at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic games thru the winter before taking up the directorship full-time in the spring. As such she’ll continue to work with Heidi closely thru the fall and winter to make the transition as seamless as possible.
As she points out in her letter to the Craftsbury Running community, while she’s best known for her sporting accomplishments as a biathlete, she was a runner long before she picked up a rifle, competing for St. Johnsbury Academy in XC and track, as well as earning All-Ivy honors for XC and track during her time at Dartmouth.
“I’ve logged hundreds of running miles as part of my ski training the past decade,” notes Susan. “I’ve explored every mile of road in Craftsbury and the surrounding towns and I look forward to sharing the best of the running here with you.”
As we welcome Susan, the Center offers our deepest gratitude to Heidi Caldwell and wishes her well in her next chapter. Heidi has pulled the Craftsbury Running program forward by leaps and bounds as our first year-round onsite director. Under her generous guidance and seemingly indefatigable energy, a nascent running culture has emerged at the Center and in town.
“Running at Craftsbury is growing!” Susan enthused. “Heidi expanded the community programming, race experiences and elite opportunities for runners at Craftsbury. I’m looking forward to building on all these programs she founded.”
Heidi created and fostered these opportunities for all sorts of runners, of all ages pretty much singlehandedly. Thanks Heidi: the Center and our running community are better for your run with us.
…and welcome Sus! We’re eager to see what we can build together!
One more winter of elite biathlon for our new running director.