Nina Kemppel was a force to reckon with both academically and athletically. She graduated with honors from West Anchorage High School. Nina excelled in crosscountry running, skiing and track and field in high school. She was best known for her success in cross-country skiing. Nina was the Alaska High School State Champion in skiing in 1985 and 1987. She was also the State Track and Field champion in the 3200-meter race in 1985.

After high school, Nina attended Dartmouth College, graduating in 1993 with a B.A. in Economics. During her college career she was a two-time NCAA All- American in cross-country skiing. After college, she focused her energies on her skiing career. She competed in the Olympics in 1994, 1998, and 2002. In the 2002 Olympics, she placed 15th in Salt Lake City, posting the best performance ever by an American woman in cross-country skiing. She is a nineteen-time U.S. National Cross-Country Skiing Champion (all-time U.S. record holder).

One of Nina's other accomplishments is a successful climb of Mt. McKinley with her father in 1995. Nina retired from her skiing career in 2002 and returned to school earning an MBA from the Tuck School of Business. She currently works for Mercer Management Consulting in Boston, Massachusetts.