Goble Guiding To Gold
In cross-country skiing, the race is about as individual as it gets. Reid Goble knows this better than most as he competes for Team USA on the World Cup circuit. But for the biggest races of the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games in Milano Cortina, he wasn't racing for himself at all.
Goble and Peter Wolter served as guides for Jake Adicoff, the 30-year-old Sun Valley, Idaho native who swept all four of his events in the visually impaired category at the 2026 Paralympic Games (sprint, 10km classic, 20km freestyle, and the mixed relay). Goble was the guide alongside Adicoff when he won gold in the 10km interval start classic, finishing nearly 49 seconds ahead of second place.
Prepare for Pain
Ask Reid what's going through his head in the pain cave, and his answer is all about what he does the night before.
"I try to remind myself, the day before a race, the morning of the race, that it's gonna be painful. When you only think about the fun parts…the podium, finishing across the line, having a great race…and then you get in it and you feel the pain cave, you're like, oh man, I didn't want to feel this. I just want to feel the good parts."
His fix is simple: eliminate the surprise. By mentally rehearsing the discomfort before it arrives, he transforms the pain from an unwelcome shock into an expected part of the process.
"It's supposed to happen. I'm supposed to feel bad."
He’s prepared for the hard moments. So when he finds flow state and the effort feels effortless, that's all a bonus.
Race Better by Looking Outward
Even in solo competition on the World Cup circuit, Reid’s mindset is grounded beyond himself. He’s learned that his best performances come when his focus is on something external rather than his own suffering.
"I race better when I'm with people. It becomes more about competitiveness and less about my own body. I just have to beat this person next to me, rather than dig so deep within myself."
Reidbuilds his personal race strategy around thisself-knowledge that takes most athletes years to develop. And it turns out, that same mindset is precisely what makes him an exceptional guide.
Guiding to Gold
When Reid lines up alongside Jake, he prepares with the same intensity. But the mental shift is profound.
"I'm pushing myself in a very similar way…but it's actually not for me, it's for Jake," he says. "The goal is not myself."
Redirecting your competitive drive entirely toward someone else's result requires a specific kind of mental discipline. Instead of attacking every hill at full throttle, Reid moderates. He skis smoothly, predictably, making sure Jake can match his rhythm and that together, they move through the course faster than either could alone.
"I'm not trying to drop him over the top of the hill. I'm trying to ski very smoothly and predictably, so we can go around the course together and make him go faster."
And for anyone who assumes guiding is the easier role?
"People are like, are you going as hard as when you race? I'm like, yeah, and sometimes I'm going a lot harder than I'd like to over a section. It's easily as hard as my own racing."
Adicoff's two guides for Milano Cortina were Reid Goble and Peter Wolter, both former NCAA skiers. It's an unusual arrangement that’s built on strategy.
Peter dialed in the sprint and the 20km freestyle; Reid focused on the 10km classic and the relay. They each had their lane, and they trained hard in it. And if one had gotten sick, the other was ready to cover. "We really just were maximizing the success for Jake," Reid says. No ego. Just purpose.
Takeaways Beyond Racing
Reid is closing the chapter on his ski racing career, World Cup circuit, Paralympic guiding and all, and heading to medical school at the University of Wisconsin–Madison this fall. As he reflects on what the sport has given him, his answer is rooted in the people:
"My closest friends are because of ski racing. The bond I've made with so many people is so strong and I'll never forget it. Even in an individual sport, I have so many people to thank for being part of my journey.”
Prepare for the hard moments. Focus outward. Race for something bigger than yourself. Goble’s golden mentality.
ABOUT THIS SERIES
I'm Amy Wotovich, and I am on a mission to interview 100% of Team USA's 2026 Olympic and Paralympic athletes to create the most comprehensive mindset record of a single Games cycle. What do elite competitors actually believe about pressure, identity, failure, and joy? Reid Goble is one of hundreds of athletes sharing their unfiltered answers. Follow the journey!
