LOCAL NEWS

Young skiers mark end of season with pointers from Olympic gold medalist

Apr 8, 2018, 5:57 PM | Updated: Feb 14, 2023, 12:24 pm

SOLITUDE — About 50 children got some skiing tips from Olympic gold medalist Ted Ligety at Solitude Mountain Resort Sunday.

The children are part of a program that helps families get involved with an expensive sport like skiing.

The event was the big finish to a six-week program called “Y I Ski”. The program is a partnership between the YMCA of Northern Utah, the National Winter Sports Education Foundation, and Solitude.

The program allows families to get lessons, gear rentals, and lift tickets at affordable prices for children from ages seven to 17.

Children gathered at Solitude to wrap up the season Sunday morning, skiing down a race course. Parents said their children had come a long way through the program.

“I think it’s wonderful because it helps the inspiration and helps guide them and shows them what the love of the sport can definitely do for the future,” Brandy Bushnell said.

Bushnell’s 10-year-old daughter, Braylin, was participating in the program for the first time this year.

While the young skiers enjoyed the slopes, they also met with Ted Ligety, an Olympic gold-medal and world-champion skier.

“It’s so cool to be able to watch these kids evolve on the slopes. It’s awesome to see them from the first year,” Ligety said. “A lot of these kids, it’s their second year and to see how much better they’ve gotten over the year and how much fun they’re having. It’s so awesome. I grew up skiing my whole life and it’s so cool to be able to share that experience with these young kids.”

Ligety said he was also excited for the children to learn skills that apply off the slopes.

“It’s such a fun sport. It gives you so much, not only from the fun aspect, but learning about yourself, getting confidence, pushing your limits, scaring yourself sometimes, challenging yourself,” he said.

As Braylin finishes up her ski season, her mother says she is glad she learned some lessons to last a lifetime.

“She was so afraid to go down the higher hill and was really terrified and with the support of her friends and everybody, she finally went down it last week and now you can’t keep her off of it,” Bushnell said.  “I think it’s really building that strength and courage of knowing you can overcome your challenges.”

Elissa Kobrin, the YMCA of Northern Utah’s director of camping, said the organization is always happy to accept used ski gear that can help children in their programs hit the slopes.

KSL 5 TV Live

Top Stories

Local News

(Chopper 5/KSL TV)...
Josh Ellis

Greatest snow on Earth: Utah’s snowpack hits record high

Things are about as good as it can get for the Greatest Snow on Earth: Utah has set a record for its statewide snowpack, passing the previous mark set 40 years ago.
16 hours ago
FILE PHOTO: The Chickadee lift is pictured at Snowbird in Little Cottonwood Canyon on Thursday, Oct...
Madison Swenson

Interlodge in effect at Snowbird, Alta Ski Area

Two ski resorts in Little Cottonwood Canyon are now under interlodge protocol due to active storms in the area.
16 hours ago
(KSL TV)...
Karah Brackin

KSL TV flies with all-female medical flight crew from Ogden

A medical flight crew based out of Ogden is making a name for itself as an all-female crew.
16 hours ago
A man shot himself when police arrived to serve a search warrant in an investigation involving chil...
Brooke Williams

Police: Grantsville man shot himself upon police serving search warrant

A man shot himself when police arrived to serve a search warrant in an investigation involving child sexual abuse material.
16 hours ago
Traffic cameras show 300 West and South Temple in Salt Lake Ciy covered in snow Friday. (Utah Depar...
Bridger Beal-Cvetko

‘This is just the appetizer’: More snow expected Friday afternoon

It's nearly April, but the Wasatch Front is preparing for another winter storm that is expected to drop between 1 and 4 inches of snow in the valleys through Friday evening.
16 hours ago
Fernando Perez, El Salvador consul general, talks with Jose Aviles at the consulate of El Salvador ...
Sydnee Gonzalez

New Salt Lake consulate already helping many of the 20,000 Salvadorans in Utah

Salvadorans in Utah finally had their requests for a consulate answered earlier this month.
16 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Happy diverse college or university students are having fun on their graduation day...
BYU MBA at the Marriott School of Business

How to Choose What MBA Program is Right for You: Take this Quiz Before You Apply!

Wondering what MBA program is right for you? Take this quiz before you apply to see if it will help you meet your goals.
Close up of an offset printing machine during production...
Les Olson IT

Top 7 Reasons to Add a Production Printer to Your Business

Learn about the different digital production printers and how they can help your company save time and money.
vintage photo of lighting showroom featuring chandeliers, lamps, wall lights and mirrors...
Lighting Design

History of Lighting Design | Over 25 Years of Providing Utah With the Latest Trends and Styles

Read about the history of Lighting Design, a family-owned and operated business that paved the way for the lighting industry in Utah.
Fiber Optical cables connected to an optic ports and Network cables connected to ethernet ports...
Brian Huston, CE and Anthony Perkins, BICSI

Why Every Business Needs a Structured Cabling System

A structured cabling system benefits businesses by giving you faster processing speeds and making your network more efficient and reliable.
notebook with password notes highlighted...
PC Laptops

How to Create Strong Passwords You Can Actually Remember

Learn how you can create strong passwords that are actually easy to remember! In a short time you can create new ones in seconds.
house with for rent sign posted...
Chase Harrington, president and COO of Entrata

Top 5 Reasons You May Want to Consider Apartment Life Over Owning a Home

There are many benefits of renting that can be overshadowed by the allure of buying a home. Here are five reasons why renting might be right for you.
Young skiers mark end of season with pointers from Olympic gold medalist