Rosie Brennan has retired from World Cup racing. The cross country skier and Parkite had been battling a mysterious illness for the last couple of seasons.  The 37 year old said she was struggling to get proper blood flow to her legs in skate races because of the technique required, and thus she was only competing in classic events toward the end of this season.  Pushing through pain and the inability to race certain competitions, Brennan qualified for her third Olympics in Milano Cortina in February. She was the 49th-ranked skier in the world this season.  “Of course there’s a part of me that’s crushed that I couldn’t be at my best or what I know I’m capable of, but there was also a part of me that was incredibly proud of the fact that I had made it there,” Brennan said about the Olympics.  Brennan’s season ended at the Lake Placid, New York, World Cup March 22. She finished in 19th place in the Lake Placid 10km classic race on March 20.  Brennan said in early March that she would take some time off offseason training to evaluate her future in cross country skiing.  On Wednesday, the U.S. Ski Team veteran wrapped up that reflection and announced her retirement from World Cup skiing. “I struggle with the word retirement because I hope to ski and race as long as I possibly can, but my time as a World Cup athlete has come to an end,” Brennan said. “I dreamed of finishing on a high and my own terms, and I feel some amount of disappointment that this isn’t that, but something that skiing has given me is a deep appreciation for challenging myself and finding joy in the process of learning, and this year provided plenty of that. … I continue to battle my health with few answers, and that has taken a toll both physically and mentally.” Brennan is proud of leaving it all out on the snow during her World Cup career. She said she battled through every obstacle and used her curiosity to improve.  The Parkite finished one spot off the freestyle sprint podium at the 2022 Beijing Games. She also finished one spot off the 4x5km classic/freestyle relay podium at both the 2015 and 2021 World Championships. Brennan won three individual World Cup races at 2020 and 2022 events. Brennan thanked the U.S. Ski Team and its employees and fans and APU (Alaska Pacific University) Nordic Ski Center and APU Program Director and Head Coach Erik Flora for aiding with her career. She trained in Alaska since graduating from Dartmouth College in 2011. Brennan is a Park City High School alumna.  “I couldn’t imagine a better life than making my passion a career,” Brennan said. “It makes for low lows and high highs, and that makes life feel so real and full.” Brennan will be enrolling in Liverpool John Moores University’s masters of sports nutrition program this fall in Liverpool, England. She’s ready to take time away from skiing to allow her body to better heal. Brennan sees herself involved with skiing and even racing again however in the future.  “This is not the end, just a new chapter,” Brennan said. “I love learning and am excited to pursue other passions and seek mastery in new arenas. … I don’t know exactly how skiing will fit into my life moving forward, but I do know it will, and I do believe I will put on a race bib as soon as my body is ready.” The post Park City cross country skier Rosie Brennan retires from World Cup racing appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less