Clark launches Foundation to help riders achieve their dreams

By Matt Boxler

When Kelly Clark (Mount Snow, Vt.) sets her mind to accomplishing something, it generally ends with success.

The 2002 Olympic gold medalist in halfpipe has similar aspirations to land atop the podium at next month’s Winter Olympics in Vancouver. She took a big step in that direction by becoming the first American snowboarder to secure a coveted spot on the 2010 U.S. team.

Winning another gold medal hasn’t been the only thing on Clark’s to-do list, though. The West Dover, Vt., native, who credits her success in the sport with the opportunities she was given to attend the exclusive Mount Snow Academy, wanted to help young riders follow a similar path.

Again, mission accomplished.

Last week, Clark announced the establishment of the Kelly Clark Foundation, which will provide scholarships for talented young athletes in need, helping them to attend mountain academies and pursue their own dreams of achieving excellence in snowboarding.

“My foundation is very new, and it’s almost like a new adventure for me,” Clark stated. “My plan was to have it established by the time the Olympics came around so I could really draw some attention to it and start to pull in the resources to help it grow. I have a few people helping me out with it and I’m hoping that this next school year I will be able to provide scholarships.”

Clark started skiing at age 2 and snowboarding at age 7. Growing up in Vermont, she spent every free moment on the mountain, but it wasn’t until high school — when she had the opportunity to attend Mount Snow Academy — that her career took off.

“This was a great opportunity, and a turning point for my career in snowboarding,” Clark recalled. “By attending a mountain school I was able to snowboard on a daily basis and pursue my snowboarding dreams while still completing my studies. After enrolling in school, I started to compete in local events on the weekends, which led to national events, and eventually to international competitions.”

By her junior year, Clark had joined the U.S. Snowboard team, and two years later, at the Salt Lake City Olympic Games, she won a gold medal as the youngest member on the team. She has since won every major event in snowboarding — Dew Tour, Swatch TTR World Tour, Winter X, U.S. Open, New Zealand Open, Australian Open … you name it.

“When looking back on my career and life path I keep coming back to the amazing opportunity I had has a teenager to attend a mountain school, and put all my energy into snowboarding, Clark said. “It is my intention with the Kelly Clark Foundation to give back, and see others have the same opportunities that I have had; and I am looking forward to watching their dreams come true.

“I think it’s a very fulfilling thing to do what you love, and I’d love to see dreams being able to be pursued,” Clark said. “I think there’s a lot of life that comes along with that.”

To find out more about the Kelly Clark Foundation, including how to apply for a scholarship, go to kellyclarkfoundation.org.