1,000 Dreams Fund and Olympic-bound ski jumper Abby Ringquist have teamed up for our first-annual fundraiser, FundGirlsOnThe Rise.  After reaching our first goal of $15,000, we randomly selected a donor to attend the Olympic Trials for Women’s Ski Jumping in Park City, UT on December 30^th & 31^st, 2017. Here is winner Casey’s recap of her “VIP” experience, courtesy of 1DF & USA Nordic, where she got to hang out with Abby and her fellow women’s ski jumping teammates and watch them compete as they set out to reach for their dreams of Gold!

Growing up in suburban New York, the closest ski mountains were at least an hour or two away. I never put on skis or a snowboard but the Winter Olympics have always been fascinating to me. It represents a world of possibility. The athletes represent the dreams I never imagined were possible.

I won the trip to Park City, Utah and got to meet Abby Ringquist and all the ski jumping athletes, as well as watch the ski jumping Winter Olympic trials LIVE! I took my best friend, Akshay and together we lost our voices cheering at the trials, rode a ski lift, ate incredible food, and truly had the experience of a lifetime.

The athletes have been working their entire lives for this and no amount of words can convey the inspiration that I gained from hearing Abby’s story live. Her determination to become an Olympian is incredible. Waking up every day and working towards one goal resonated with me. Our determination drives what we do and who we are. Nothing will get in the way of our dreams–even if circumstances outside of our control threaten to take our dreams away! When women team up with other women, anything is possible.

– Casey Chon, Hampshire College student