Live Like Sam Partners with U.S. Ski & Snowboard

U.S. Ski & Snowboard and Live Like Sam, a Utah-based nonprofit, have announced a partnership to provide financial, educational, and community-minded tools to young athletes.

Live Like Sam was started after 16-year-old internationally-ranked freestyle skier, Sam Jackenthal, suffered a tragic ski training accident in Australia in 2015. The organization was launched by Sam’s father, Ron Jackenthal, by taking his grief and transforming it into inspiration.

“U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s whole athlete development model and mission will benefit from the meaningful foundation of Live Like Sam programs,” Jackenthal says. “As young athletes individually develop in life and in sport, they will thrive athletically and emotionally from the LiveLikeSam.org mission and lessons. I see Live Like Sam as being highly complementary to a performance-based organization. We are focused on whole person development as well as whole athlete development, and helping athletes build character on and off the podium. The U.S. Ski & Snowboard values of excellence, passion, integrity, community, team, grit, fun, and safety all align with and complement the Live Like Sam CARE principles.”

Live Like Sam is based on the core principles of community, athletics, responsibility and education – principles that guided Sam’s life. Their programs award merit and need-based scholarships, create educational platforms with personal development-based curriculum, build strong community partnerships and provide youth with opportunities to volunteer and serve their communities.

“I am really excited about U.S. Ski & Snowboard supporting LiveLikeSam.org,” says Julie Glusker, Director of Athlete Career and Education at U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “The mission of Live Like Sam parallels our own organizational mission, ‘to lead, encourage, and support athletes in achieving excellence by empowering national teams, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers and fans.’”

“When I think about what Sam would want, I realize he wants us all to go out and live large, be there for others, and be integrated into the community,” Jackenthal adds. “That thought has been a big inspiration for me through this loss – and I can now share Sam’s legacy.”

For more information about Live Like Sam, please click here.

Release courtesy of Live Like Sam.