|
Jessica
Jerome
 |
I moved to Utah
when I was 5 from Jacksonville Florida, so
the change from the beach to the snow was
a little strange to adapt to at first. I
began alpine skiing that year, and by the
time I was 7, I was on jump skis. My parents
were opposed to the whole idea of Ski jumping
at first, since they had seen the “Agony
of Defeat” on NBC’s Wide World
of Sport, and it had left them slightly mentally
scarred. Eventually, they let me have my
way, and now they are my two biggest supporters. |
Growing
up in Park City gave me easy access to the
jumps as well as the awesome coaching staff
at the Park City Nordic Ski Club, which helped
me excel. When I began jumping, I was oblivious
to the fact that Ski jumping was the only
sport in the Winter Olympics without a women’s
class, because I was so passionate about
it that it had never occurred to me. Even
though there is a lot of debate and discussion
about the exclusion of women in Ski jumping,
I simply just love what I do, regardless
of whether I will ever be allowed to compete
at the Olympic level. I have been competing
since I was 10, and skiing internationally
since I was 14. In February of 2009, we will
have our first ever World Championship event
in Liberec, Czech Republic, and I am so excited
to have the opportunity to be apart of that!
I am currently attending Westminster College in Salt Lake City, and I’m
working towards an Economic degree. Because of skiing, I take the winter semester
off, and go to school full time in the summer and fall, so I am on what you could
call a “6-year” plan. When I am not training or going to school,
I like to relax at home, since we are on the road 4-5 months a year for camps
and competitions. I also try to work whenever possible, I normally work night
shifts at restaurants because I am training during the day. In the winter when
I am not in the gym or on the jump, I am usually hitting up the slopes on my
alpine boards, scoping out the freshies. |
Results In Skiing
5 U.S. National Titles
19 Continental Cup podiums (the highest circuit
women jumpers compete at)
Why I Chose SheJumps
For My Charity
I chose SheJumps because it is committed to
the empowerment of all women through outdoor
activity, and I think it is so important for
young women to experience the thrill of sport,
whether it’s on snow, in the air, or
on the ground. The focus of SheJumps is to
network amateur and professional female outdoor
athletes with community service opportunities
in order to increase female outdoor education
in economically under-served communities.
When I was in 2nd grade, the local ski club came to my school and did a presentation
on Ski jumping, and I immediately signed up, which is how I got involved at such
a young age. I believe that personally, sport has helped me tremendously in the
growing up process. Today, I see fewer and fewer young women involved in sport,
and SheJumps is trying to expand the involvement of all women in outdoor activities
such as skiing, hiking, and climbing by holding clinics and encouraging healthy
lifestyles. It is so disheartening to see so many young women never have the
opportunity to engage in healthy, fun, confidence building activities, and SheJumps
is dedicated to providing that opportunity for girls who would otherwise never
have the chance to experience that.
To Find Out Even More:
|
