Generation Z: How Olympian Libby Ludlow is giving back to girls

Libby Ludlow in 2008 (GEPA/Wolfgang Grebien)

Former U.S. Ski Team racer Libby Ludlow has seen the Olympic Winter Games from all sides: as a young fan from far away, growing up; as a competitor in Torino in 2006; and as a spectator, blogger and analyst at Vancouver 2010. But during the Sochi 2014 Games, she has her sights somewhere else: on young female athletes who need to sharpen their mental skills for athletic and personal successes.

That’s the mission of Z Girls, which Ludlow founded in 2011 with a collegiate racing friend, Jilyne McDonald Higgins, and then expanded in 2012 to a national program. “Sports are 80 percent mental, yet young athletes rarely spend any time developing their mental game,” explains Ludlow. “Z Girls teaches girls the mental side of sports in a fun and interactive way.”

The curriculum covers confidence, goal-setting, body image, positive self-talk, communication, support, and sports nutrition, with six 60-minute sessions typically following a team’s regular practice.

This is just a preview. Read the full article on Z Girls in Issue 8 of our digital magazine here.

Z Girls Have Zero Limitations