ON THEIR WAY TO THE TOP

«Nadja is a clever racer,» Marina Kälin (21) says of her elder sister's tactical advantage. So, she tries to stay close to Nadja when they participate in the same race. «We can't help each other very much, though,» her sister, who is two years her senior, comments. «In a racing situation, we both push ourselves to our limit. There isn't much left to spare each other.» Over the last three winter seasons, both young athletes from St. Moritz have made their mark on the international sporting stage. In 2022, Nadja participated in her first Olympic Games, winning a diploma in the relay contest. Just back from Beijing, she won the Engadin Skimarathon, to the surprise of many. The following year, Nadja came in second. Last winter, at the Under-23 Cross-Country World Ski Championships, she won the silver medal in the 10k classic race. Marina, too, made the public take notice: last winter, she secured the title of U23 World Champion in the 20k freestyle technique and took part in three World Cup races. The sisters once learned to ski in the Engadine Valley but have now moved to Davos for their professional training. «That's where our coaches and our training groups are. We have the ideal setting to focus on our sport there,» Nadja explains. Still, to go cross-country skiing in the Engadine Valley is something special, Marina adds. «The cross-country trails on the frozen lakes are unique. And, in springtime, when we're done with the competition season, we come here to enjoy the skating on firn.»