The 50-Year Drought

On February 10, Vermont’s Ben Ogden stood on the podium at the 2026 Winter Olympics to receive his silver medal, a mere .08 seconds behind the gold medalist. His podium finish ended a 50-year drought by US skiers in the Men’s Winter Olympic’s Nordic competition. Ben’s first medal was for the Men’s Cross-Country Sprint; a week later, he teamed up with Gus Schumacher to win a second silver medal in the Cross-Country Team Sprint

Within hours of the twin victories, Rovers North fanboys Paul Damkot and Joel Boyden realized that the 25-year-old Ogden was a Land Rover enthusiast – in regular contact with Rovers North – who nurtures his love of Series Land Rovers through the restoration of his ’73 Series III SWB. As Ben recounted in an interview, “I train for over 900 hours a year and the Land Rover restoration is my outlet. It’s been the best thing for me!”

Ben’s appreciation of Land Rovers came through his father, John, a Middlebury College graduate and a skilled carpenter. “My Dad was into classic cars,” Ben said, “and restored a ’67 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40. He always talked about the NAS Defenders, and on vacations on Nantucket, would point them out to me. Upon my graduation from UVM (University of Vermont, BS in Mechanical Engineering), I knew that I would miss the challenge and structure built into my routine at UVM. I will always be thankful to the incredible faculty in the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences for supporting me, regardless of my hectic schedule!”

“I searched for a project unrelated to my Nordic training. My uncle suggested I check with Vermont restorer Lanny Clark, who taught me so much about Land Rovers. A cousin, Asa Chambers, and I each bought a project Land Rover. Mine came off from Martha’s Vineyard, with a very rotten frame and 180,000 miles on the odometer. One cylinder had 0 psi compression, so I rebuilt the motor. While the crankshaft was in fine shape, it needed new bearings, pistons and rings. The cylinders just needed a light honing.”

“When I drained the transmission, the gear oil included a gear tooth. When I disassembled it, I found a broken synchro ring and took the opportunity to replace some other worn pieces. I also rebuilt both front and rear axles. As it had been in a collision in the past, it needed a crazy amount of body work, which required me to learn how to weld aluminum. I found a tropical roof in Rutland, VT, and a galvanized frame – and lots of new parts from Rovers North.”

“As an engineer, I appreciated the simple, yet elegant engineering of the Land Rover. There are too many clever engineering mods to list. I immensely enjoyed my engineering coursework and the challenge of balancing ski racing with academics. While at UVM, I learned that I thrive when I’m busy and challenged. My Dad had loved to bike and ski, but cancer robbed him of this physical strength and really wore on him. Vintage Land Rovers were things that he always coveted, and this project gave us valuable bonding time together before his passing in June 2023.”

Ben has earned the admiration and respect of teammates and coaches alike. Patrick Weaver, UVM’s Nordic Coach and a former Olympian himself (1998, 2002), recalls, “Cross-country is a very demanding sport in terms of fitness and training. It’s also a challenge mentally as it’s always you against the clock. It’s a painful sport when you go hard; you have to control if, and when, you let off the gas. Everything has to come together: the selection of skis, wax, clothing. My focus with Ben was helping with the ‘little things’ that escape media attention but make a big impact. I was not shocked by Ben’s accomplishment but I was thrilled for him!”

Colin Rodgers is the Program Director and Head Coach of SMS T2, a globally elite cross-country program out of Stratton Mountain, VT. He grew up in Westford, VT, the childhood friend of Rovers North’s Calef Letorney. Colin said, “I grew up ski racing and made it to a high level. At age 30, I retired from racing and became a coach at schools in Idaho and Vermont; one of my students was Jessie Diggins. Both are phenomenal athletes!”

“You don’t get a silver medal without perseverance and strategizing. Ben is really in tune with his body and what he needs. That’s what has set him apart; he executed it at the Olympics. He figured out what it took to get there. Cortina was a long course with big climbs, requiring a breakaway on the uphill, and a long downhill finish. It’s a classic sprint at the end; you must close well for the last 100 meters. To stand on the Olympic podium with the best in the world is quite an achievement.”

“As for the Team Sprint Silver Medal with Gus Schumacher, that’s another significant achievement. Ben and Gus did not know who would comprise their competition until the night before!”

For Ben Ogden, the “favorite part” of his cross-country skiing and his Land Rover enthusiasm alike, “is the community aspect of it. You’re not cross-country skiing for money or fame. The community that supports me means so much, from the ski wax technicians to my coaches and teammates. My training year starts around May 1, either here in Vermont or at high-altitude training locations. In November, my race season begins, mostly in Europe. I live out of a duffle bag for months through March and can finally unwind in the spring.” Ben splits his time between his family home in Landgrove, VT, and the house he bought with his girlfriend, Phoebe Sweet, in Richmond, VT.

“I feel the same level of support from the Land Rover community,” Ben said. “This Land Rover project has been the best!” We think that transforming a very tired Series III into a beloved vehicle warrants a gold medal!

[As we go to press, UVM announced that Ben Ogden will be a guest speaker at the 2026 Commencement -ed.]