U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced Wednesday that 44 athletes across all sport disciplines at all levels have received awards through the Jeff Shiffrin Athlete Resiliency Fund.
Last June, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, in collaboration with the Shiffrin family, announced that the Jeff Shiffrin Athlete Resiliency Fund (JSARF) would live on as a newly established need-based, direct-to-athlete funding source for U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes. The goal was to raise $250,000 with every dollar being matched by a generous anonymous donor up to $125,000. Thanks to 60 donors, the campaign reached its goal of $250,000 to be distributed to athletes across all sports at all levels, from Development Team to A/Pro Team, based on a combination of both need and merit.
Athletes are able to use the funds toward any cost related to their sports career, including but not limited to living expenses, medical expenses, and rehabilitation from injury. Being a JSARF award winner means that an independent review committee, comprised mostly of former athletes, believes that these athletes are capable of breaking through to the next elite level of their sport. The committee was impressed by the stories of athlete resilience and acknowledged the hard work and dedication the athletes have demonstrated.
In the inaugural year of providing the JSARF awards, the program has achieved the following milestones:
- 60 donors contributed to the campaign
- 44 applicants were awarded stipends of up to $13,000
- Multiple athletes from all sport disciplines received awards
- 59% of the awards went to female athletes and 41% went to male athletes
- The vast majority of award recipients received 50% or more of their total funding request
- Applicants spanned all levels of sport, from first-year team members to Olympic athletes
Several award winners have expressed that this funding is providing them with the opportunity to keep their sports careers moving forward, particularly Development Team/Rookie Team athletes.
Two-time Olympic champion, six-time world champion, and mental health awareness advocate Mikaela Shiffrin shared her thoughts about the impact the Fund has had on the organization and her teammates. “My Dad was passionate about elite sports and believed in supporting athletes who are hardworking, disciplined, and constantly pushing themselves to be better and overcome challenges to compete at the top of their game,” she reflected. “His passion for sport and athletes lives on through this fund, which we created to honor his life and legacy.”
Shiffrin, her mother Eileen, and her brother Taylor shared that they created the fund in their father and husband’s name so “his legacy will live on and he will continue to contribute to the ongoing pursuit of excellence for all athletes across all sports.”
U.S. Ski and Snowboard CEO Sophie Goldschmidt added, “We’re delighted to be partnering with the Shiffrins on this important program, the number of athletes the JSARF is supporting just shows the impact. We’re extremely grateful to the Shiffrins and the donors for their commitment to this initiative and the lasting legacy.”
A new round of fundraising will also start this Father’s Day, for distribution in the spring of 2023.
