Olympic Hopeful Berit Tomten

 Berit began the sport of bobsled in 2008 when she decided to visit her sister, Blair, in Utah and try out driving school because it looked like fun.  She took a hiatus from the sport to complete graduate school at the University of Washington in Seattle.  In 2011, she moved to Utah and began training at ModusFit with Tim O'Mara to gain speed and strength in order to compete at the national level.

The 2012-2013 season was her first competitive season for the US Bobsled Development Team as a driver in which she competed in the North American Cup circuit.  She finished third overall for the season with three medal winning performances, two silvers and a bronze, in Calgary and Lake Placid.

Berit was a walk-on Division 1 collegiate rower at the University of Minnesota from 2003-2007.  While at Minnesota, she was Big Ten Conference champion in her Novice boat. As a junior, she helped the 1st Varsity Eight boat earn their first berth in school history to the NCAA championships where they finished 8th. That year she was also named Second Team All-Big Ten and Second Team Central Region. Her senior year, the Team won their first Big Ten Conference Championship and qualified the entire team for the first time at the NCAA Championship, finishing 6th as a team.

In high school, Berit was a four-year letterwinner in varsity swimming and a three-year letterwinner in varsity softball.  She competed at the Wisconsin State Championships in swimming all four years and helped her team to consecutive conference and sectional championships those seasons as well.  Her senior year, Berit earned All-America honors swimming breaststroke for the 200 Medley Relay in which she still holds the school record with her teammates.  She was also school record holder in the 100 breaststroke and 200 freestyle relay. She was named All-State for three seasons in swimming as well as one season for softball. As a junior, she helped her varsity softball team to a State Championship berth. 

At a young age,Berit competed in the sport of ski jumping but she left the sport at the age of 15 when hope dwindled for allowing women to compete in the sport at the olympic level.  In 1995, she competed in the first exhibition event at the Nordic World Championship for women where she finished third in her class at the age of 11. In 1998, she competed at the Junior World Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland, which was one of her last major competitions before retiring her skis to pursue other athletic endeavors.