The recipient of the Life Coach Award in Honor of Ruben Macaya is recognized by the athletes for that season for their dedication, caring and hard work as a coach.  It was initiated by SVSEF athlete Jordan Fitzgerald in 2014 who raised money from the athletes for the recipient of the award.

Ruben was first a World Class ski racer for Argentina and then became a coach for many years all over the world before he joined the SVSEF staff.

From 1989-2015, Ruben coached for SVSEF for 26 years.  In that span, he was the Alpine Director from 2001 through 2014.

One of Ruben’s mottos can be seen on the metal Wall Plaque that is displayed at the SVSEF Training Center in Warm Springs with the recipients’ names.

“You get the best effort from others not by lighting a fire beneath them but by building a fire within”