Martha Rockwell

Martha Rockwell (born April 26, 1944) is a retired American cross-country skier and coach, who competed at the Winter Olympic Games in 1972 and 1976. She has been cited in the U.S. as a "pioneer" and a "legend" in women's cross-country skiing, having been the U.S. women's cross-country ski champion 18 times between 1969 and 1975 as part of the first U.S. national cross-country ski team for women.

Personal life Rockwell was born on April 26, 1944, in Providence, Rhode Island to Barbara (née Webb) and Henry Benson "Ben" Rockwell. She graduated from The Putney School, where her father was headmaster, and Bennington College. Rockwell raced in Alpine skiing events in high school at Putney and in cross-country races where she raced on the boys' team under coach, John Caldwell.

Athletic career

In her entry with the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame, Rockwell is cited as a "pioneer in the United States in women's cross country skiing".

Soon after the organization of the (then) United States Ski Association women's cross-country ski team in 1969, Rockwell was the first women's national cross-country ski champion. Rockwell and other promising skiers, including Bill Koch, received the attention of coach Marty Hall, who was instrumental in her further development as a skier and her exposure to the international racing circuit.

She was a member of the USA women's Olympic Nordic ski team in 1972—the first year U.S. women competed in cross-country skiing in the Olympic Winter Games. She raced in the 5K, 10K and Nordic relay events at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan. The effectiveness of Rockwell's training regime was evident in a 1974 World Championship race, when she was in sixth place and closing on the leaders within reach of a podium finish and a medal; unfortunately a course worker's ski pole caught Rockwell's, causing a fall and a tenth-place finish—still a strong finish for an American at the time. In 1979, Rockwell set the women's record for running the Mount Washington Road Race at 1:19:14, a record which stood until 1985. Rockwell coached the women's cross-country ski team of Dartmouth College from 1979 to 1987. Sports Illustrated included Rockwell in a glamor photo shoot of six noted skiers in 1970. Dartmouth College established a "Martha Rockwell Award", given annually to a female cross-country skier “who, in the estimation of the coaches, has performed the best throughout the season”.

Cross-country skiing race finishes Olympic Games Year Age 5 km 10 km 3/4 × 5 km relay 1972 27 18 16 11 1976 31 28 36 9