Published April 21, 2026 09:00AM
The group fanned out like a disorganized parade going down the slushy spring terrain, their instructor pausing to wait for the slower skiers a few times along the way. When 12-year-old beginner skier J’lauren Potter had trouble linking turns, the instructor jumped uphill to get directly in front of her student, watching over her shoulder while giving tips and even handing over her poles.
“It was amazing,” Potter said afterward. “She taught me how to stay steady and then to turn, to press my leg into it. It was surprising. She let me use her poles. It was really fun.”
This wasn’t your typical group lesson at Colorado’s Copper Mountain in early April. Instead, it’s Olympic and World Cup champion Mikaela Shiffrin leading a group of about 35 young girls from the group elevateHER. The Colorado-based nonprofit is one of 70 grantees receiving support from Share Winter, for which Shiffrin aims to raise $1 million to get more kids on snow. But the ski racer is not just raising money for a cause she believes in: When given the chance to meet and ski with some of those kids, she’s all in.
Hailing mostly from Salida, Colo., and surrounding rural towns, the girls arrived with various backgrounds in skiing. A handful of them race for the local ski area, Monarch Mountain, and are literally shaking with excitement at the prospect of skiing with their hero. Others are recreational skiers and snowboarders of various levels. A few have scarcely ever spent any time on the slopes. At least two of them had never heard of Mikaela Shiffrin before their ski day together.
After giving her poles to Potter, Shiffrin skied without any for the remainder of the event. Another girl was sitting on the snow rubbing her bare hands together. Shiffrin asked if she wanted her gloves, tossing them over. When a girl took a fall and came out of her skis, Shiffrin was the first to take action, sitting on the snow to hold the skis and helping her back in.
“I have done a couple little tips and tricks over the years,” Shiffrin said. “There’s always somebody who is struggling and you’re like, ‘we’re just going about this at the wrong angle.’ It’s so fun to see people learn.”
Sharing dreams and aspirations
Before heading out on the hill, Shiffrin spent some time asking the girls, all between 11 and 14 years old, what they want to be when they grow up. To lighten the mood, she revealed that when she was their age, she aspired to be “a rainbow horse.”
Interestingly, not a single girl said she hoped to become the next Mikaela Shiffrin, or even an Olympic athlete. Their dreams included becoming nurses, actors, bakers, veterinarians, and paleontologists. Clair McClain, 13, one of the more experienced skiers of the group, wants to become a ski patroller.
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“Ski patrollers make it all happen. You get first tracks on everything and ride up on snowmobiles,” McClain said, adding that Shiffrin has been her idol since she was 2. “She made her dream come true.”
McClain was over the moon about skiing with her lifelong idol.
“Oh my gosh. I’m so excited,” she said. “My impression is that she’s this really fun person and she just loves to ski and just does what she loves. She’s living the life.”
As starstruck nerves wore off throughout the ski day, the girls became more comfortable around Shiffrin. They asked about her favorite animal, her favorite color, whether she’s had any injuries, what she likes to listen to on the hill. Shiffrin also inquired about their favorite bands and songs and wanted to get everyone’s take on new vs. old Taylor Swift.
Daniela Wohlwend, Executive Director of elevateHER, which is a year-round nonprofit aimed at empowering girls through outdoor adventure, said the ski day was the most impactful and memorable of the organization’s history.
“It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all the girls in our program,” Wohlwend said. “It shows girls what their futures can look like. Especially in a male-dominated sport like skiing, to meet someone at Mikaela’s level can really change lives. For our girls that are just starting to see themselves in the outdoors, she brings a level of confidence and kindness. She’s just an incredible human and athlete.”
As the final run unfolded at Copper, the girls rushed to ride the lift with Shiffrin and asked if she wanted to sit with them at lunch, during which Shiffrin casually handed off her recent (and arguably hardest earned) Olympic gold medal for the girls to pass around and admire.
Showing how much she cares
Shiffrin arrived at Copper fresh off a whirlwind, jet-setting media tour following her latest Olympic and World Cup-winning, record-breaking season.
“She’s wanted to do this since we started talking, but schedules are crazy,” said Share Winter CEO Constance Beverley, who also attended the elevateHER event. “She’s not even getting to sleep right now and she showed up today, which I think is a real testament to how much she cares and how much energy she’s bringing to these girls.”
Beverley said that of the organization’s 70 grantee programs, elevateHER is the only all-women’s initiative. Also located relatively close by, it was the ideal group to invite out with Shiffrin, whose Mikgives campaign with Share Winter kicked off last year with a donation of $100,000 to coincide with her 100th World Cup win, but quickly ballooned to $500,000.
Shiffrin was as humble as ever when praised over her gritty competition season. When asked what advice she’d impart to the next generation, the ski racer was honest and introspective.
“There are times when I’m racing that I’m pretty serious, pretty locked in and it probably doesn’t look that fun,” Shiffrin shared. “But you can be ambitious, work really hard, set lofty goals, and still have fun. When they talk about paleontology or baking or being a nurse, these are jobs and passions that require some level of stress on the body and the mind. You have to find bits and pieces that are fun and fulfilling. You can have a good time being really dedicated to something. That’s what I try to show.”
