Kelsey O'Driscoll is 'On the Rise'

Kelsey O'Driscoll may be in her rookie season, but she doesn't have a rookie mentality. Within just a few years of starting to ski again after injury, O'Driscoll was introduced to racing, and is now named to the Stifel U.S. Para Alpine Ski Team for the first time. Last season, she was named to her first World Championships team, where she earned an impressive sixth-place finish. Just last week, Kelsey made her World Cup debut, finishing fourth, and by the end of the weekend, she had earned her first World Cup win. O'Driscoll's trajectory is astounding, and she isn't stopping anytime soon.

Between her work as a nurse and ski patroller, O'Driscoll is highly motivated to do everything the best she can on and off the slopes. 

O'Driscoll is the latest athlete featured in U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s “On the Rise” series, presented by Zions Bank. Through community service, sponsorships and charitable donations, Zions Bank is committed to fueling economic growth and enhancing quality of life in Idaho, Utah and Wyoming.

We caught up with O'Driscoll dive into her background, reflect on a season of milestones, and look ahead to her goals for 2025-26.

Q: What initially drew you to the sport of skiing?

A: I’ve been on skis since I was two and was in love from the start!

Q: When you were younger and getting into the sport, what were your goals? 

A: I wanted to ski race as a kid, but my parents said no, so I switched directions and dreamed of becoming a ski patroller. I became a ski patroller at 21, a nurse at 25, and then broke my back at 27. After I broke my back, I was determined to get back to being a ski patroller and nurse. Once I had done that, I started thinking about para ski racing and decided to give it a go!

Q: What is your biggest accomplishment?

A: Getting back to work as both a ski patroller and as a pediatric nurse after sustaining my spinal cord injury.

Q: What is your ultimate goal? 

A: To create visibility for disabled people working in both the ski and healthcare industries.

Q: Who are your heroes? Both in & out of the sport?

A: Mike Olsen is the person who showed me life keeps going after a spinal cord injury (SCI). He showed me what was possible with an SCI. Without him, I wouldn’t be doing any of this. He’s my hero!!

Q: You win $5,000 in prize money: What do you do with it?

A: Put half aside to go towards buying a house, and give the other half to the adaptive programs who have helped me get where I am now.

Q: Do you budget or follow any structure related to spending?

A: I keep track of my skiing expenses on a spreadsheet, and everything else in an app. I have a monthly budget for groceries, outings, bills, etc. I only put things that give me cash back on my credit card and I pay it off in full every month. 

Q: What’s one money habit you follow?

A:  I put 15% of my paycheck pretax into my employer-sponsored savings account, and 1/4 to 1/3 of my paycheck after taxes into my regular savings account. 

Follow Kelsey on her social media channels.