Nancy Ingersoll Fiddler ’78 came to Bates as an English major, expecting to play field hockey and lacrosse, though at the time women's lacrosse at Bates was more of a plan than a reality. During her sophomore year she was recruited to give Nordic skiing a try. Winning her first four races, Nancy later remembered with a laugh, "I was all lungs and no technique. I figured that if I could learn to ski properly, I might be pretty good at the sport." 

To put it mildly, so it proved. 

In one of the most extraordinary athletic accomplishments in Bates history, over the next three years Nancy won every race she entered. She finished her Bates career undefeated, and was Bates' first female All-American in any sport. She went on to be the first Bates woman ever to compete as an Olympic athlete, and was the fifth Bobcat ever selected for an Olympic team. Nancy was an English major, with great affection for Bates and her education. With Dean's List academic performance, she was elected to the College Key and earned a Senior Citation Award.  

With broad athletic interests, she helped bring two new club sports to women's athletics in lacrosse and cross country. After a trial period and with support from Bates, and in the helpful environment of the early years of Title IX, both sports became varsity programs at Bates. 
After Bates, Nancy continued her passion for Nordic skiing and made a push to try to qualify for the 1980 Olympic Team. She came up short and set her dream aside for a while. Seven years later she qualified for the U.S. World Championship team, thus beginning an eight-year run on the U.S. Ski Team. Nancy competed in four World Championships (1987, 1989, 1991, and 1993) and in two Winter Olympics, 1988 in Calgary and 1992 in Albertville. She finished 25th overall and was the top US finisher in the 1992 winter Olympics, at 18th place in the 30K race, and she placed 15th in the 15K race at the World Championships in 1989. Although these events are normally dominated by Europeans, Nancy was one of the best 20 female cross-country skiers in the world, and generally the top U.S. finisher in international races. 

Through the years, she competed in many World Cup races and won the U.S. national title 14 times. A ski writer said of her performances, "Nancy Fiddler was pure tensile strength. She willed herself to be one of the top Nordic skiers in the world." 

Related: Catching up with two-time Olympian Nancy Ingersoll Fiddler '78