Green Mountain Valley School

Green Mountain Valley School (GMVS) was originally founded in 1973 by Al Hobart and John Schultz under the name of the Mad River Academy located in Moretown, VT. The school moved to a new campus in Fayston, VT in 1978 under the new name of the Green Mountain Valley School. The purpose of the academy was to maximize the athletic and academic potential of high school age skiers. 

In 1981, GMVS recruited Jim Fredericks to start the school’s first cross-country ski program. During his tenure, Fredericks trained over twenty Junior Olympic Team athletes, including two National Champions and also placed skiers on the USST in 1984 and 1985. Fredericks incorporated cross-country running and cycling into the nordic training regimen and as a result the xc team won two VT State HS Championship titles in 1982 and 83 and the cycling team won the New England Prep School Cycling Championships in 1985. 

During the summer months many college, national, and Olympic team athletes trained under Fredericks’ direction on the GMVS campus. In 1985, Fredericks left the program due to an auto accident, which left him incapacitated.  Muffy Ritz replaced Fredericks as the nordic program director from 1986-89 and was instrumental in creating Junior Olympic, Junior World Championship and Olympic athletes. In 2002, a biathlon program was introduced by Jan Arne Enevoldsen. The GMVS Nordic program continues to produce many top collegiate and national team athletes under the direction of Justin Beckwith.