Jessi Diggins wrote on her website, “Before I could even walk, I was in my dad’s backpack as my parents skied different trails around Minnesota. We joined the Minnesota Youth Ski League where I officially learned to ski, and by taking me to different citizens races around Minnesota, my parents showed me how fun and rewarding this sport could be; both skiing beautiful trails for fun with my friends and challenging myself with different races.”
“When I got older and started racing more and more seriously, my mom and dad took so much time out of their schedule to drive me to practice, teach me how to wax my skis, and even fly with me to race at nationals my first few years.”
Meet her parents Clay and Debra Diggins in this article.
Who Are Jessie Diggins Parents?
Jessie Diggins grew up in a family that absolutely “loves the outdoors and being active in all-season” and she feels very lucky for that particular reason. She told NBC Olympics, “My parents taught me to ski! I owe everything in my career to them, not only because they taught me skiing but because they instilled a deep love of the outdoors and the satisfaction of working hard towards a goal.”
Her parents recognized her skiing talent at the age of 11 when she would compete against high school kids and place well. Then, Jessie qualified for the state high school meet as a seventh-grader. Her mother Deb told St. Croix Valley magazine, “It became evident she had a combination of talent and drive.”
Her parents played an instrumental role in her skiing career.
When Jessie was 6000 miles away in Beijing competing in the 2022 Winter Olympics, NBC called the Diggins wondering if they were having any watch parties they could come to. Debra said, “I wouldn’t be excited about going to someone’s house at 1 a.m., so I don’t blame our friends. They were like, ‘We love you and Jessie, but … ‘ I understand. We go to bed early, set our alarm, watch the race, and go back to bed.”
Learn more about Jessie’s parents below,
Meet Debra Diggins, Jessie Diggins Mom
Debra Diggins, an avid skier, is the mom of Olympic medalist skier Jessie Diggins. She and her husband are busy coaching cross-country skiers at Red Wing High School.
Although Jessie posted pictures of her parents in Christmas 2021, she dedicated a post to her mother on Mother’s day 2020. She posted, “Happy Mother’s Day, Mom! Thanks for always being there to hold my hand (and hold me up). Thank you for sharing your appreciation for the outdoors and sense of adventure, and leading by example with courage and confidence.”
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Debra Diggins Age
Born on 8 July 1960, Debra Diggins turned 61-year-old in 2021.
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Debra Diggins Job
Debra Diggins (Robinet) grew up in Pike Lake was born to her parents Cliff and Betty Santa. She attended Proctor High School, after that, she enrolled at Gustavus Adolphus College. Debra manages the Slumberland Furniture franchise store in Red Wing. She and her husband had bought the store from Dan and Michelle Murphy, their long-time friends. She has a background in marketing and sales.
After buying the store in 2009, Deb shared with Republican Eagle, “We just had much more of an affinity for Red Wing. Also, it was a place where we knew Dan and Michelle did a great job of establishing the store.”
She added, “Clay and I are excited about doing this.”
An avid skier, Deb didn’t cross-country ski while growing up in the area. She told Duluth News Tribune, “I was a Spirit Mountain alpine skier.” She and her husband also volunteered at the Timber Trail aid station in February 2021.
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Is Debra Diggins On Instagram?
On Instagram, Debra Diggins goes by the handle name (@debdiggins). In addition, she is also on Facebook (@deb.diggins.5).
Meet Clay Diggins, Jessie Diggins Dad
Clay Diggins, the patriarch of the Diggins household, also has an unparalleled contribution to Jessie’s career as a professional skier. He grew up in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and has a green card which makes him a dual citizen.
Speaking with Guardian, Jessie revealed, “Before I could even walk, I was in my dad’s backpack while my parents went skiing on the trails every weekend. I’d be pulling on my dad’s hair and yelling at him to “mush” like he was a sled dog.”
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Clay Diggins Age
Born on 30 September 1960, Clay Diggins is 61 years old as of 2022. He was born to Dr. Bill & Lois Diggins. He lost his aunt Margaret Diggins on 22 March 2002.
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Clay Diggins Job
Clay Diggins and his wife are the co-owners of Red Wing Slumberland Store. He also worked in the corporate office of Slumberland as head of stores.
In the company’s corporate office, Clay also served as Vice President, Sales & Store Operations at Slumberland, which is a Furniture company with an estimated 816 employees; and was founded in 1967. They are part of the Sales Operations team within the Sales Department and their management level is VP-Level.
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Is Clay Diggins On Instagram?
No, Clay Diggins doesn’t seem to be on any of the social media platforms.
Related FAQs
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Are Jessie Diggins Parents Still Married?
Yes. Jessie Diggins’s parents are still married. They met each other at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. On 25 August 2019, Deb realized she hasn’t posted a marriage update on Facebook so she posted “married on 25 August 2019”. Deb and Clay tied the knots on 25 August 1983.
Deb and Clay have been happily married for 38 years as of February 2022.
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Where Do Jessie Diggins Parents Live?
Jessie Diggins’s parents currently live in Afton where she grew up and skied for Stillwater Area High School. Both of her parents were born in Canada but lived in Minnesota most of their life.
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How Many Kids Do Jessie Diggins Parents Have?
Debrah and Clay, Jessi Diggins’s parents, have one other daughter named Mackenzie Diggins.
Mackenzie attended Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, earned her BFA from Musical Theatre Performance at the University of Minnesota Duluth. She worked at Dairy Queen and is also pursuing a career as an actress at Live Action Set, a nonprofit organization.
