ONETEAM project news
NEWS - september
Colgan Foundation and ONETEAMCF.org Partner with World-Premier Team Aker Dæhlie to Launch Ultra-Marathon Ski Initiative for Para Athletes
NORWAY / USA — The Colgan Foundation and non-profit organization ONETEAMCF.org have officially announced a joint mission to expand athletic pathways for elite para athletes transitioning out of International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) and Paralympic competition. Headlining the initiative during its debut 2026/27 season is seven-time Paralympic medalist and retired U.S. Navy SEAL Daniel Cnossen, who is partnering with veteran Olympic/Paralympic and U.S. Ski Team coach Rob Powers to promote entry into international marathon ski racing.
In a landmark sports partnership, the initiative—titled the "Team Aker Daehlie ONETEAM Project"—is joining forces with Team Aker Dæhlie, widely recognized as the world's premier marathon racing team. The collaborative project has already secured milestone support from two of cross-country skiing’s most historic and prestigious global events: Italy's iconic Marcialonga and Norway's famed Birkebeinerrennet.
A Vision Directed by Olympian Sean Colgan
Crucial to launching the project is Sean P. Colgan, founder of the Colgan Foundation, U.S. Olympic rower, and lifelong advocate for athlete development. For over two decades, Colgan has spearheaded global initiatives that bridge elite competition, character building, and athlete transition programs.
“We believe the end of an athlete’s Paralympic career should not have to mean the end of their competitive journey,” said Sean P Colgan, Founder of Colgan Foundation. “Sport has an extraordinary ability to build confidence, resilience, leadership and community. Our goal with this partnership is not simply to support Dan, but to create a pathway that can benefit many athletes who want to continue competing at the highest level. We are proud to continue our collaborations with Rob Powers and ONETEAMCF and start a new relationship with Team Aker Dæhlie all in effort for this project to endure well beyond the first season.”
Global Backing from Premier Marathon Races
The 2026/27 debut season marks a transformative step for adaptive ski racing, establishing dedicated pathways for sit-skiers in long-distance Ski Classics events. Aligning with Team Aker Dæhlie—the first private pro team to fully integrate Olympic, Paralympic, and Ski Classics talent—gives the initiative unprecedented technical, logistical, and competitive depth on European soil.
"Elite para athletes dedicate decades to achieving peak physical and mental conditioning, but when they step off national team rosters, structured competitive support often evaporates," said Rob Powers, President of ONETEAMCF.org and Project Director. "The tremendous support the 'Team Aker Daehlie ONETEAM Project' is receiving from two of the world's premier races—Italy's Marcialonga and Norway's Birkebeinerrennet—proves that the international skiing community is ready to embrace adaptive marathon racing. Together with Sean Colgan and Team Aker Dæhlie, we are building a permanent framework for retired Paralympians and U.S. Wounded Warriors to keep moving forward at the highest level of human performance."
A New Standard for Elite Athlete Transition
Under Colgan's guidance and embedded alongside Team Aker Dæhlie’s elite pro roster, Cnossen will not only continue with high-performance competition, the Team Aker Daehlie ONETEAM Project will focus on a strong "pay it forward" philosophy. At every stop on the international circuit, the team will lead interactive community engagements to bridge the gap between world-class racing and local adaptive sports programs.
This grass-roots outreach includes direct collaborations with regional hubs such as Italy's Sportabili Val di Fiemme and Norway's Beitostølen Health Sport Center (BHSS), bringing local adaptive athletes, rehabilitation patients, and youth directly into the fold of these world-class marathon events. In addition to these host-nation engagements, the project will incorporate U.S. Wounded Warriors into training camps and mentorship opportunities, reinforcing ONETEAMCF's global mission of resilience through sport.
"Retiring from Paralympic racing doesn't mean the drive to compete simply stops," noted Dan Cnossen. "Transitioning into marathon ski racing with the backing of Team Aker Dæhlie, ONETEAMCF.org, and the Colgan Foundation allows us to demonstrate that elite adaptive endurance athletes can continue pushing boundaries on the world’s most demanding courses while inspiring the next generation of adaptive athletes along the way."
news - october
THE HOME OF INCLUSION: WHY USA NON-PROFIT ONETEAM COLGAN FOUNDATION PLANTED ITS FLAG IN BEITOSTØLEN
BEITOSTØLEN, NORWAY — When assessing global models of human rehabilitation and adaptive sport, one nation stands alone: Norway. Through a state-supported public-private framework, Norway has established a healthcare paradigm centered around two purpose-built twin facilities—the pioneer Beitostølen Health Sports Center (BHSS) and its northern counterpart, Valnesfjorden Health Sports Center.
Unlike conventional clinical wards across the world that isolate patients during recovery, these centers integrate whole-family residential lodging, full nutritional support, and adapted outdoor sports therapy directly into the habilitation process. For the USA non-profit ONETEAM Colgan Foundation, which advances athletic equity, health accessibility,and military veteran reintegration worldwide, Norway’s twin model represents the global gold standard for whole-person recovery.
This deep alignment with Norway’s sports-rehabilitation ethos is precisely why the ONETEAM Colgan Foundation has officially named the mountain village of Beitostølen its home base in Norway.
While many elite winter venues worldwide treat adaptive sports as a secondary consideration, Beitostølen and its local community have integrated Para Nordic athletics into their core civic identity. The town’s crown jewel, Beitostølen Ski Stadium, recently completed major re-engineering and course construction projects specifically designed to elevate the venue to world-class FIS and Paralympic standards.
Engineers restructured track profiles, widened turn radii, and adjusted steep gradients across the entire trail network.These physical overhauls ensure sit-skiers and standing para-athletes access high-speed, technical, and safe racing lines matching the physical demands of traditional World Cup courses—laying essential technical groundwork for Beitostølen to host its historic FIS Para Cross-Country World Cup races in March 2027.
For ONETEAMCF.org — Beitostølen provides an environment where inclusion is operational, not symbolic. Olympic and Paralympic champions share the same the same trails, and race on the exact same weekend stages, including the annual Beitosprinten.
By endorsing Norway’s twin rehabilitation centers and grounding its training operations at Beitostølen Stadium, the ONETEAM Colgan Foundation hopes to send a clear message to the international sports community: real inclusion requires institutional bravery, infrastructure investment, and a community willing to build the future of sport together.
news - november
Celebrating 20 Years of Colgan Foundation Support
In remote forward-operating bases across the globe, an active-duty service member sits with a mentor, sharing stories of resilience far beyond the standard briefing. Thousands of miles away along the coastal shores of El Salvador, a young adaptive athlete catches their first ocean wave, guided by coaches focused on human potential through Para Surf and Para Sport.
These powerful moments define the missions of ONETEAMCF.org and ONETEAMSV.org. Yet behind every base visit, adaptive clinic, and youth development milestone lies an extraordinary 20-year legacy of quietly sustained impact—driven by the unwavering support of the Colgan Foundation and its founder, Sean P. Colgan.
The remarkable success of these programming objectives is rooted in a rare, hands-on philanthropic model. While many charitable initiatives face bureaucratic drag or short-term funding shifts, Sean P. Colgan envisioned something different: a lean, 100% volunteer-driven standard where resources go straight to the front lines of human empowerment. By providing consistent capital, strategic advisory leadership, and long-term advocacy over two decades, the Colgan Foundation enabled ONETEAM organizations to operate with complete focus and agility.
For ONETEAMCF.org, this direct support has powered an international military mentorship mission. Unburdened by administrative overhead, volunteer mentors—ranging from Olympic gold medalists and Astronauts to decorated veterans—have completed over 800 base visits in 20+ countries. Bringing real-world, resilient mindsets to active-duty troops and veterans where it matters most. The foundation's sustained backing transformed single visits into enduring, life-changing relationships built on trust, duty, and mutual respect.
For ONETEAMSV.org in El Salvador, the Colgan Foundation’s commitment has catalyzed life-changing impact across vital pillars: youth development, Paralympic sports development, and first responder basic life saving instruction. Sean P. Colgan’s belief in sports and practical community resilience as engines for human transformation has allowed ONETEAMSV to build a safer, more inclusive future in El Salvador.
Ultimately, the 20-year partnership proves that genuine philanthropy goes far beyond writing checks. Through Sean P.Colgan and the Colgan Foundation's active guidance, belief in operational efficiency, and deep alignment with volunteer leaders, ONETEAMCF and ONETEAMSV have turned ambitious humanitarian goals into thousands of lives changed worldwide.
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