(S)heJumps into the Canyon wraps up with smiles and a love for skiing

The teens spilled into Goldminer’s Lodge at Alta with sweat on their brows and huge smiles on the last day of (S)heJumps into the Canyon. It was the last session of four, where teens from four Boys & Girls Clubs in the Salt Lake City area came to participate in a program where they learned how to ski from some of the best skiers in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Coaches included 2009 World Champion ski jumper Lindsey Van, World Cup aerial winners Emily Cook and Ashley Caldwell, plus numerous big-mountain skiers and local rippers alike. The teens were taught by local heroes that provided mentorship and coaching to these teens that wouldn’t have the chance to ski without the support of SheJumps and the many sponsors that brought this program to fruition for the third year in a row.

“I can be scared of doing one thing and then with the support of SheJumps I have been able to jump…or go faster than I usually do,” said Honduras immigrant Lidia Mejia, 17, recalling the experience. “I can reflect back on something that is scary and say if I can do that I can do this too.”

SheJumps goal was to impart the spirit of the organization in the teens, which is to take a jump, or challenge, that may not be immaginable. For many of these teens, the Wasatch mountains are just a backdrop to their lives in the city. They often don’t have the opportunity to engage in expensive outdoor activities such as skiing. During the program, SheJumps taught 43 kids over the course of four weeks in March—which was the largest group to date.

“Teaching the teens how to ski was a joy,” said coach Lindsey Van. “There was no griping, no complaining—they just totally appreciated the experience and couldn’t have been happier sliding on snow.”

Thanks to the many sponsors that made the program run—outer wear, rental gear, lift tickets, and even lunches were donated by wonderful businesses like Rossignol, Deep Powder House and Alta Ski Shop, Goldminer’s, and Alta Ski Area. Much of the added expenses were covered by The North Face grant to help make an impact on the teens. SheJumps couldn’t have done it without the 20 wonderful coaches that volunteered their Saturdays to help mentor the teens. Also, a big thanks to photographers Jeremy Koons and Re Wikstrom for documenting the experience so Shejumps could collect memories for the teens to take home with them.

SheJumps hopes to expand this program to other regions, and is always looking for sponsors to make it happen. If interested, please contact Executive Director, Claire Smallwood, at claire@shejumps.org.

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(S)he Jumps Into The Canyon was established in 2009 to work with as many Boys & Girls club teens as possible in order to inspire them in the mountain setting by offering creative avenues for physical expression that are completely free for them to try. Since it’s founding, the program has provided a month long opportunity for 9-17 year olds to learn about fitness, skiing fundamentals and using public transportation to reach the mountain.