Holly Beatie

Holly Beatie grew up in the Sierra Nevada foothills ofr Califo ia and moved to the mountains as a young adult. Having been an athlete in high school and college, she soon became an expert Alpine skier and instructor in the Bear Valley Ski School. She moved to the North Tahoe/Truckee area in the late 1970’s where she found that she had a talent for cross-country skiing and racing. That led her to try her hand at Biathlon in the winter ofrn‘78/’79 at the Olympic training center in Squaw Valley.

The fact that there was no women’s Biathlon team in the U.S. at that time did not deter Holly and she competed in the men’s races. She fell in love with this fascinating sport, worked hard, and was soon beating half ofrnthe male competitors.

Holly’s tenacity and prowess at skiing and marksmanship inspired other women to come out and try Biathlon racing. By 1980, the U.S. Biathlon Association decided it was time to develop a women’s team, invitingr Holly and other women to training camps, and holding separate women’s events and National Championships.

In 1984, Holly showed up at the Olympic Trials races in Laker Placid, New York and earned the number one spot on the team that would represent the U.S. at the inaugural Women’s World Championships in Chamonix, France. With Holly as the anchor, the American women brought home the bronze medal in the relay (behind Russia and Norway). This was the first ever world champion medal in Biathlon for the United States.

During her 20-year athletic career, Holly tried her hand and excelled in numerous other sports including Running, Cycling, Triathlons, andr Ride & Tie. She also became an expert at event management, creating events like the Mountain Run at Squaw Valley USA, now in its 30^th year. Inrnthe 1990’s, she took on the role of regional coordinator for the emerging sport of Summer Biathlon (running & marksmanship) and went on the road with her cat Toonces for seven months in 1992 as the national coordinator.

After retiring from competitive sports in 1997, Holly embarked on an inward journey of healing and discovery. Having arnstrong affinity for nature, she has mastered the use of plant-based materials to create an extensive line of Earth-friendly healing products including flower essence formulas, medicinal balms and salves, aromatherapy, natural perfumes, and body care. She incorporates wild plants from the Sierra into many of her formulas as a testament to the healing powers of plants that are readily available to everyone.

Currently, Holly manages over 100 products in her line of Highr Sierra Botanicals and when she’s out on the trails, is a sharp shooter with a camera instead of a rifle.