With the head coaching position “essentially voluntary” as Cushman described it, reality soon set in, and the obscure sports star turned to a more conventional path—law school.

But Boston College Law School couldn’t keep Cushman away from the Crimson for too long. In the fall of 2008, the cyclo-cross racer returned as an assistant coach for the Nordic team.

“I heard that Chris [City] was the coach,” she recalled. “Chris and I skied together, and I thought it’d be really fun to work with him. I was just remembering how fun it was to coach the first time around, and I thought it’d be a nice way to balance out my life.”

Cushman quickly jelled with the athletes.

“She’s great,” said Nordic women’s captain Audrey Mangan. “Sara’s personality plays well with the team...She jokes around and makes techno dance CD mixes. She’s really fun.”

And City has appreciated Cushman’s dedication to the team.

“She jumps in to do things all the time,” he said. “She does it because she loves the team...It’s more than a job for her...She gives so much more than you could ever ask of an assistant coach...I hope Sara’s with us for many years to come.”

—Staff writer Christina C. McClintock can be reached at ccmcclin@fas.harvard.edu.