There’s something special about growing up in a mountain town.
Early mornings. Icy race courses. Long tram lines. Powder days before school. A community that rallies behind its athletes not just when they win — but while they’re grinding it out on the way up.
This year, Jackson Hole showed the world exactly what that kind of foundation produces.
Three Olympians from our valley stepped onto the global stage. Two (Breezy and Anna), are proud alumni of the Jackson Hole Ski Club, a program that has been shaping young athletes here for decades.
If you ever needed proof that world-class talent can rise from a small, tight-knit community — this is it.
🥇 Breezy Johnson: The Queen of Speed
Breezy Johnson didn’t just compete — she made history.
After missing the 2022 Games due to injury, Breezy returned with grit, focus, and something to prove. On the legendary Olimpia delle Tofane course in Cortina, she delivered a performance for the ages.
Event: Women’s Downhill
Result: 🥇 GOLD MEDAL
Winning Time: 1:36.10
With that run, Breezy secured the first gold medal for Team USA of the Games and became one of only two American women to ever win Olympic Downhill gold.
For those of us in Jackson, watching her charge fearlessly down that course felt familiar. That aggressive, technical confidence was forged right here in our mountains — and shaped through programs like the Jackson Hole Ski Club, which has long been a pipeline for elite alpine talent.
🥈🥈 Jaelin Kauf: The Goat of the Moguls
If Breezy brought the speed, Jaelin Kauf brought the dominance.
Raised in Alta, Wyoming, Jaelin once again proved she is one of the most powerful forces in mogul skiing.
Events:
• Women’s Moguls
• Women’s Dual Moguls (Olympic Debut)
Result: 🥈🥈 DOUBLE SILVER
With these performances, Jaelin became the most decorated U.S. Olympic moguls skier of all time.
Her precision, speed, and consistency on the bumps are unmatched. And like Breezy, her path to Olympic hardware runs through years of disciplined training and community support in the greater Jackson Hole area.
The mogul fields of our region — from Jackson to Grand Targhee — have long been a proving ground for resilience and technical mastery. Jaelin’s performance is a testament to that mountain culture.
🏔️ Anna Gibson: A Pioneer in Ski Mountaineering
While alpine and freestyle skiing are long-established Olympic disciplines, Ski Mountaineering (Skimo) made its highly anticipated Olympic debut this year — and Jackson’s own Anna Gibson was right in the middle of it.
Events:
• Women’s Sprint
• Mixed Relay
Results:
• 4th Place – Mixed Relay
• Semifinalist – Sprint
Anna and her relay partner, Cam Smith, finished just 17 seconds shy of a podium. Considering Anna picked up the sport only months ago, her rapid rise to a 9th-place world ranking in Sprint and a 4th-place Olympic finish is nothing short of extraordinary.
She isn’t just competing — she’s helping pioneer the sport in the United States.
In a valley known for backcountry culture and human-powered adventure, it feels fitting that Jackson would help launch the next chapter of Olympic ski mountaineering.
The Jackson Hole Ski Club Legacy
For over 80 years, the Jackson Hole Ski Club (JHSC) has been developing athletes in alpine, Nordic, freestyle, snowboard, and more — fostering not just competitive excellence but character, resilience, and community connection.
JHSC’s mission centers around providing opportunities for athletes of all levels to grow in skill and sportsmanship while building a lifelong love of the mountains. Two of this year’s Olympians are alumni of that program — a powerful reminder of what consistent mentorship, coaching, and community investment can create.
In a town of this size, producing multiple Olympians in a single Games is extraordinary.
It speaks to:
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The quality of coaching
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The culture of mountain dedication
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The deep community support behind every young athlete
Jackson Hole continues to punch far above its weight on the world stage.
And as we celebrate gold and silver, we also celebrate something even more enduring — a mountain community that believes in developing talent from the ground up.
From tram laps to Olympic podiums.
Not bad for a small mountain town.
