Ariens Nordic Center adds two-time Olympian to its staff

Rich Palzewic

Staff

June 29, 2026

BRILLON – The Ariens Nordic Center has hired Olympian biathlete Paul Schommer – a move 

Monica Ariens, senior director of the Ariens Nordic Center, said, further strengthens its commitment to the sport and athlete development.

Schommer, a 2010 Kimberly High School graduate, represented Team USA in biathlon – a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle marksmanship – at two Winter Olympic Games: the 2022 Beijing and 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.

Ariens said the hire reinforces its commitment to outdoor sports, community programming and youth-focused efforts.

“We are thrilled to officially welcome Paul to the Ariens Nordic Center team,” she said. “His Olympic experience, passion for outdoor sports and commitment to youth in our community will make him an incredible asset. Paul’s presence will elevate our programming and inspire kids in our community for years to come.”

Monica said Schommer has long-standing ties to both the local community and Ariens Nordic Center.

As a newly retired member of the U.S. Biathlon Team – an organization sponsored by the Ariens brand – Monica said Schommer has built a strong and enduring relationship with Ariens and its Nordic Center initiatives over the years.

Furthermore, she said Schommer is ultimately credited for putting biathlon on the map for Ariens and the Brillion community.

“Paul’s addition reinforces Ariens Nordic Center’s mission to create a premier destination for Nordic skiing and biathlon while building a strong, engaged community around outdoor sports,” she said.

In his new role, Schommer, 34, said he will help develop and support programming at Ariens Nordic Center and work with youth of all ages and skill levels, while focusing on biathlon and other outdoor sports and recreational activities to promote healthy active lifestyles in the community.

“You have to have a certain level of skiing [skill] to be successful in biathlon,” he said. “The shooting component is what’s taught to you. To be a fast skier, you have to put in the training and have an aerobic training base. The shooting portion of biathlon is more of a skill-based thing. That definitely takes time to learn through different situations.”

A world-class facility

According to its website (ariensnordic.com), Ariens Nordic, located at 1111 Round Lake Road, is Northeast Wisconsin’s premier Nordic center.

The center, per the website, includes five kilometers of lighted trails for cross-country skiing; a state-of-the-art 20-point Kurvinen Biathlon Target System; a snowmaking system covering all trails; a three-kilometer, paved roller-ski loop; and a 10-million-gallon pond for snowmaking.

“To have a facility like this in Northeast Wisconsin is not something I ever really saw happening, especially during my time as an athlete,” Schommer said. “Most of my immediate family has moved away from the area, so it’s kind of funny how [the position at Ariens Nordic] brought me back to the area.”

Schommer said a key motivation for him is sharing his passion for biathlon and Nordic skiing with the region.

“I see this as being a great opportunity for area people to get into the sport and have the opportunity to compete and train at a really nice facility close to home,” he said. “That wasn’t an option for me when I was a kid. I understand the people who live here. It’s a place I’m familiar with and can bring some expertise into the sport.”

Schommer said because biathlon is a “niche sport,” building a community at the Ariens Nordic Center will take time.

“When we [build that community], it’s going to be hugely beneficial for the people who live here,” he said. “Currently, I’m trying to get an understanding of everything that’s going on here and gauging what our goals are. How do we grow the Nordic center? What sorts of things do we want to make available?”

After those questions are answered, Schommer said it’s then about executing the plans in place.

“What will be the best way to make those things happen, potentially trying to see if we get some youth programming and to get more kids and locals on skis, enjoying the outdoors right here close to home in Northeast Wisconsin,” he said.

A slow, steady rise

Though Nordic skiing at the high school level is still gaining momentum and not officially affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association, Schommer said he got his start in the sport at Kimberly High School through a ski club.

Athletes, he said, would ski on the football fields.

“I entered into the sport through the club, and as I got more interested in racing, that’s when I began working with others to improve and learn more,” he said. “It wasn’t until I attended The College of St. Scholastica [in Minnesota] that I was a part of an official team. That’s really where my ski career began to take shape.”

Schommer said it was at the College of St. Scholastica that his interest in biathlon began to grow.

He said his coach at the time, Chad Salmela, introduced him to the sport.

“Coach Salmela was a biathlete, so he’s the one that put the idea into my head,” he said. “I was introduced to shooting probably after my sophomore year at St. Scholastica, and then after I graduated from there, that’s when I started a full-time career in the sport.”

Schommer said he began doing biathlon full-time during the 2015-16 season, before joining the U.S. Biathlon Team in 2017.

“Initially, I qualified for the IBU Cup, which is the one level below the [Biathlon] World Cup,” he said. “I had my first World Cup start at the end of the 2017 season. Since that time, I was on the national team training with them before I retired at the end of the 2026 season.”

At some point in every athlete’s career, Schommer said they must weigh whether the lifestyle is worth continuing.

“For me, as an American biathlete, I also had to take into consideration how much time I was spending on the road,” he said. “If it’s something you want to continue, it’s a really big commitment. With your time as an athlete – due to the demands of training, travel and the race season – you’re not able to do a lot of other things ‘normal’ people can do.”

Taking everything into consideration, Schommer said he had decided before the start of last season that it would be his last.

Schommer said the timing – heading into the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in February – made it the right moment to retire from the sport. 

“It was definitely based on the fact that it felt like the right time,” he said. “I think I could have continued competing and would have had the opportunity to be competitive on the World Cup [team this season], but for me, it was not worth the time commitment required to get to that level. I’m more energized by doing other things now outside of the sport.”

With his professional athletic career culminating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Schommer said it’s neat to look back on the experiences he was afforded through the sport of biathlon.

“Competing in two Winter Olympics was definitely an honor,” he said. “Though great, I think there are a lot of other lessons and experiences in my time as a biathlete that I’m also really grateful for.”

With another Northeast Wisconsin athlete currently on the U.S. Biathlon Team – Pulaski’s Deedra Irwin – Schommer said it is a good indicator for Wisconsin’s biathlon presence. 

“Deedra was a teammate of mine for many years,” he said. “It’s kind of funny we both came from Northeast Wisconsin – not something I think either of us really expected back in the day.”

For more information on Ariens Nordic Center and its programming, visit ariensnordic.com.