Marquette student Becca Pierre skis in American Birkebeiner

MILWAUKEE, WI (03/01/2012)(readMedia)-- Marquette junior Becca Pierre, a psychology and physical therapy major from Rhinelander, Wis., recently raced in the American Birkebeiner, one of the world's toughest cross-country ski competitions. With family and friends cheering her on, Pierre skied the 32-mile course in a personal record time of 3 hours and 47 minutes.

Each year, some 9,500 ski enthusiasts from around the world flock to Cable, Wis., for a snowy weekend of endurance-testing events. World renowned for its challenging terrain, the Birkie's course begins in Cable and takes skiers on a 50-kilometer adventure through woods, up hills, over highways and even across a lake. By the time skiers arrive at the finish line in downtown Hayward, they've been through the wringer.

"As I crossed the finish line, my knees were absolutely throbbing and my lungs were burning. All I could think about was finding water and sitting down, which actually ended up taking awhile to accomplish," says Pierre, who started skiing on her high school's cross-country team seven years ago. This was Pierre's second Birkie.