SVSEF Launches Journey to Gold Fund
An SVSEF initiative supporting the unseen work behind world-class performance
WHY THIS FUND EXISTS
As the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games quickly approach, Sun Valley and the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation are once again preparing to send athletes to represent the United States on the world’s biggest stage. This moment continues a proud legacy of Sun Valley developing elite winter sport athletes grounded in our community’s traditions and values. Athletes like Gretchen Fraser, Pete Patterson, Christin Cooper, Reggie Crist, Picabo Street, Kaitlyn Farrington, Morgan Arritola, Chase Josey, Jake Adicoff, and Jesse Keefe to name a few.
At the Olympic level, talent and preparation are assumed, and National Teams provide the essential infrastructure to get there. What often separates athletes and determines success are the less visible elements of performance—conviction in the athlete’s potential, trusted familiarity, emotional grounding, and guidance from people who have been deeply invested in their lifelong Olympic journey.
The SVSEF Journey to Gold Fund supports the people and relationships surrounding Team USA athletes connected to Sun Valley—their mentors, families, and trusted support networks—meeting each athlete where they are and supporting what they need most. This flexible structure allows us to respond as team nominations and opportunities continue to unfold across all disciplines, respect individual needs and sensitivities, and invest strategically where support makes the greatest impact.
INITIAL ALLOCATION OF FUNDS
As we work to support Ryder Sarchett as our first officially nominated 2026 Olympian and await further announcements, the initial allocation from this fund will leverage the long-standing athlete-coach relationship between Ryder and his trusted coach and mentor, Will Brandenburg, within the broader framework of the Olympic Games. This support is designed to complement the exceptional work already being done by U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s national team coaching staff—reinforcing the belief that achieving Olympic excellence requires both a village, and a nation, working in concert.
Support through this fund will ensure Ryder’s mentorship continues through final pre-Games preparation and competition. This is exactly the type of strategic, high-impact investment this fund was created to make—supporting the intangibles that elevate performance at the highest level.
Ryder’s qualification represents not only a personal milestone, but a historic achievement for Sun Valley and American alpine skiing.
Ryder is the first male alpine skier from Sun Valley to compete in the Winter Olympic Games since Reggie Crist raced downhill at the 1992 Albertville Games. Even more remarkably, Ryder is the first male technical alpine racer from Sun Valley to reach the Olympic Games in more than 45 years, following in the lineage of legends like Pete Patterson who last competed in the technical disciplines at the 1980 Lake Placid Games.
Ryder’s nomination sparked the creation of this fund to help make the most of the rare opportunities for Sun Valley athletes to excel among the world’s best.
OUR COMMITMENT TO SUN VALLEY ATHLETES AND AN INVITATION TO THE COMMUNITY
With the support and generosity of a lead donor, SVSEF has proactively launched the SVSEF Journey to Gold Fund, offering a dollar-for-dollar match of community contributions up to $10,000. This reflects our wholehearted belief that community support should extend to the people and relationships that shape an athlete’s success—beginning early, remaining consistent, and carrying athletes through the most critical moments of their careers.
We invite our community to participate in supporting the SVSEF Journey to Gold Fund, helping ensure that our athletes across all disciplines carry the strength of Sun Valley with them as they compete at the 2026 Olympic Games and beyond!
Support the SVSEF Journey to Gold Fund through the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation. Donations are tax-deductible. SVSEF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN 82-0264946
To make a donation to the SVSEF Journey to Gold Fund:
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