For most varsity athletes, the route to university competition starts early, shaped by years of structure, coaching, and competition. For McMaster Nordic Skier David Harris, it was quieter than that at first. Skiing was something he did because of where he grew up, who he grew up with, and how winter looked in Thunder Bay.

He still remembers the team's early-season duathlon with Guelph and Waterloo, a combination of running and roller skiing that serves as the summer version of Nordic racing. "It was like our first actual race-intensity effort of the year," Harris said. "That was always good just to see where your fitness is." The results mattered, but the feeling mattered more. "I mean, I feel really good actually this year," he added. "This is the best shape I've been in, I feel like in a long time. I feel really excited for the upcoming season."

At McMaster, that excitement comes with a challenge. Hamilton is not a traditional Nordic skiing hub, and consistent snow access is never guaranteed. The solution is months of running and roller skiing, often looping campus pathways or circling Bayfront Park, building fitness long before skis ever touch snow. "We have workouts six days a week, everything but Monday," Harris said. "For skiing, what we're trying to do is build up our Zone 2 base. That's our baseline aerobic fitness."

That commitment adds up quickly. Harris estimates eight to ten hours of aerobic training each week, layered with strength sessions. "We try to do two lifts a week as well," he said. "In the fall, it was heavy mileage. Now, going into competition season, we lean a little more into intensity."

The work can be monotonous, but Harris finds comfort in the routine. "We have three team practices a week," he said. "Usually two intensity sessions and then a long roller ski." When race season arrives, that foundation allows him to handle a wide range of distances. "That's one of the things I love about skiing," Harris said. "It depends. You can have a sprint, a mid-distance, or a long-distance race."

While he appreciates the variety, he knows exactly where he thrives. "I love a long skate race," he said. "Long, hilly, just super tough. At that point, it's less about technique and more about who wants it."

Ironically, technique is also what drew him deeper into the sport. "You could be equal fitness," Harris explained, "but if somebody has much better technique, they're going to beat you by five or ten minutes." That technical gap fascinated him. "It's about taking the same repetitive movement and getting a little more efficient every time," he said. "That efficiency piles up, and you see massive improvements." This year, he feels that progress clearly. "This is the year my technique really started to click," Harris said. "That's a really cool feeling."

Harris' connection to skiing began long before competition ever crossed his mind. He grew up downhill skiing with his family, more tradition than training. "That was just something my family and I did every year to spend time together," he said. Nordic skiing was always present too, woven into Thunder Bay's outdoor culture. "Growing up in Thunder Bay, it's kind of hard to escape cross-country skiing," Harris said. "My best friends growing up were all cross-country skiers."

Still, it remained casual. "We never raced. We never took lessons," he said. "It was just something we did to be outside." He played basketball growing up and only found endurance training later. "Basketball was my first sport," Harris said. "When I stopped growing, I kind of realized it was time to switch."

Running arrived during the pandemic, almost as an experiment. "I started running because I hated running," he said, laughing. "It was terrible." What began as a challenge turned into routine, and eventually identity. "I wanted something to keep me occupied during COVID," Harris said. "I kind of fell into it."

When he arrived at McMaster, cross country seemed like the natural next step. Instead, it became a turning point. "I tried out for cross country in first year and I wasn't in good shape," Harris said. "I wasn't fast enough." Faced with a decision, he considered doubling down on running, trying rowing, or committing fully to skiing. One detail stood out. "Skiers peak later," he said. "Mid to late twenties is usually when men hit their athletic peak." That made the choice easier. "It wasn't a big detriment that I was starting later," Harris said. "So I decided to take skiing seriously."

McMaster was always about more than sport. "For me, it was the Arts and Science program," Harris said. "That was my number one program coming out of high school." Athletics fit around academics, not the other way around. Skiing became his outlet, the place where discipline and challenge met. "I love the training aspect of it," he said. "It emphasizes really holistic fitness."

The environment made the difference. "The ski community across universities is super inclusive," Harris said. "It's really welcoming." Early races were humbling. "You show up in your first year and you're getting killed at every race," he said. "But the community doesn't really let you get discouraged." He credits his teammates for keeping him engaged. "I owe a lot to the team at Mac," Harris said. "They were super welcoming."

Now in his third year, Harris is passing that support forward. "With how technical the sport is, it's important to have people willing to share knowledge," he said. "Now that we have new recruits, it's nice to start passing that along."

Some of his favourite moments are rooted in familiarity. His first OUA Championship in Thunder Bay in 2024 stands out. "It wasn't a phenomenal race," Harris said, "but it felt like my introduction to the sport." Another moment came at the Muskoka Loppet, a community race filled with families and recreational skiers. "I passed a family stopped on the side eating cookies," he said. "That was me growing up. That was the only way my dad could bribe me to go skiing." It was a full-circle moment he texted home about immediately.

Looking ahead, Harris is cautious about expectations. "My number one goal was to take my training up another level," he said. "I've done that." He wants to enjoy what remains of his varsity career. "I'm in third year now, so I don't have much time left with the team," Harris said. "I want to enjoy the season."

Still, his competitive drive remains. "Yes, I'm competitive," he said. "My mom would definitely testify to that." But his definition of success has matured. "It's not really about winning and losing," Harris said. "It's about the routine, the discipline, and pushing yourself."

In the end, his goal is simple. "Results aside," Harris said, "I just want the effort I put into races to reflect the effort we put into training." For a skier who once needed cookies to get out on the trails, that consistency, earned session by session, is the real reward.