{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Heartbeat: US Biathlon Podcast","title":"John Farra: Growing the Sport","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3194,"description":"From a nationwide laser rifle program to club development tools and a new online-based education center, U.S. Biathlon sport development efforts are resulting in strong growth in the popular, fast-rising sport. To learn more, Heartbeat caught up with U.S. Biathlon’s Director of Sport Development John Farra. His enthusiasm is contagious!A longtime Olympic athlete, coach, program leader, and high-performance director, in 2022 Farra embraced an opportunity to join the team at U.S. Biathlon as director of sport development. Two years later, aspiring biathletes and local club programs have a wealth of new tools to both help them with an introduction to sport and to perfect their craft.Farra grew up in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., where his family owned a cross country ski center. He competed in the 1992 Olympic Winter Games in Albertville, became an NCAA All American at Utah then embarked on a career in sport leadership. His career took him to Lake Placid’s National Sports Academy and the Maine Winter Sports Center, a stint as nordic director for the U.S. Ski Association, as well as high-performance roles with U.S. Paralympics and USA Triathlon. Today, Farra has found excitement and satisfaction in a role from his home base near Soldier Hollow, impacting the sport nationwide.“The common thread for me has always been the athletes,” said Farra. “It really is a fantastic experience for me to find ways to add value, to allow athletes to create the best performance they can create and to be the team behind the team.After more than a decade working in high performance, Farra has a different role now, which he embraces wholeheartedly – building the sport from the grassroots to ensure participants have a fun and positive experience.“When you know that you're adding value, you're doing the little things – I think of this job as pieces to the puzzle. I know that the pieces that I'm working with and the pieces that I'm putting into the puzzle are important to the overall foundation...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/x6Pq-rZ-MyaeFK3mEyP-hA2ejJKjanajFTBMbeQ2ok4/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9hYzg5/YWM3NWM3OTE3ZTU0/N2NhNzNhOTgxNTU1/ZTE1MC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}