Ben Loomis, Jasper Good balance Olympics, Army with World Class Athlete Program

Ben Loomis (left) and Jasper Good (right) Photo: Courtesy of Jasper Good

PARK CITY, Utah — USA Nordic athletes Ben Loomis and Jasper Good are both Olympians, nordic combined skiers, and active members of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP.)

Nordic combined is one of the oldest Winter Olympic sports. Competitors nordic ski jump in the morning, then cross-country ski race that afternoon. The results of the disciplines combine to determine the winner. Nordic combined racers have to walk a proverbial tightrope between training to gain muscles to propel themselves faster than their competitors on the cross-country ski yet remain lightweight to fly farther than those same competitors. 

Both men represented the USA as two-time Olympians at PyeongChang in 2018 and Beijing in 2022, and both men have represented the WCAP since 2019.

“WCAP Soldiers provide positive role models, motivate their fellow Soldiers, and give Americans another reason to get excited about the Army. Since 1948, 446 Soldiers have represented the United States at the Olympics, earning 111 medals in a variety of sports,” the WCAP website states.  

Good, 26, who attends the University of Utah, was named to the National Team in 2015 after beginning ski jumping at age nine.

Loomis, 24, graduated from the Winter Sports School, and used to work at Red Banjo Pizza on Main St., was named to the team in 2016 after ski jumping since the age of five. 

The athletes are what’s called Remote Soldiers, and their Duty Station is Park City. That means that when they are not at nordic combined camps, comps, or training, they must be in Park City.

Good was introduced to the military program by a former coach. Loomis and he then took it into their hands to learn more and decide if it would be a good fit for them.

They’ve had the opportunity to travel all over the world on the Nordic Combined World Cup/World Championships Circuit in order to represent WCAP. A portion of travel expenses are covered by WCAP, and the two are paid as all other members of the U.S. Army.

“WCAP does an incredible job of supporting us,” Good said. “The program is built for us to excel in our respective sport. In other words we are given the means to become the best nordic combined skiers we can. We do have to maintain the ability to pass the Army’s fitness test.” 

The Army doesn’t necessarily promise not to call them into active roles during competition days. When they signed onto the WCAP team, their job is with the Army, so they are already serving their duty in that role.

They are never obligated to provide service in state or national situations such as community support post- hurricane, wildfire, or flood. However, they go and do so when they so choose.