Down Mexico Way, USSA Gives Back

In early June, 19 U.S. Ski Team, U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing athletes headed south to Mexico to partake in a group effort that was part selfless and part athletic. Tijuana was flooded with athletes like Keely Cashman and Nellie Talbot – the lone alpine representatives on the trip – as well as Olympic silver medalist Devin Logan and World Cup winner Emily Cook.

The skiers put their muscles to work for 48 hours to build a home with support from Hope Sports, a nonprofit founded by professional cyclist Guy East that promotes personal growth and community among athletes through short-term service trips.

“In Tijuana, we built a house for a family of three, who was … living in a small shack with dirt floors, no bedding, and no ventilation,” Cashman recalls. “Inside their shack, there was a small couch on which their three-year-old son, Ian, slept and a small dirt mattress on which the parents slept. It broke my heart to see how this amazing family was living.”

USSA sends athletes on trips like this annually, exposing them to volunteer work and helping them grow as people beyond their athletic goals.

“The USSA’s partnership with Hope Sports continues to provide our athletes with the opportunity to devote time to a worthy cause outside of their sports,” says USSA President and CEO Tiger Shaw. “It’s amazing to see the athletes come together as a team to give back and build a home in two days. They’re making a difference in someone else’s life and it’s a very rewarding experience for them.”

Aside from helping someone in need, the skiers also learned basic carpentry and construction skills and participated in discussions with renowned sport psychologists and Olympians.

“I really think it’s going to stay with me through my athletic career,” Cashman believes. “We’ve had some great talks from different sport psychologists and they’ve really been great. I’ve learned a lot, not only about the people and how they live here, but also about myself.”

Outside of their personal transformations, athletes had an opportunity to bond with other skiers and snowboarders that they don’t get to see during the winter months.

“I think during this trip it was really awesome to have have different sports come together,” Talbot says of the experience. “It is really fun to meet new people and to kind of get to know them while on this trip is very valuable. We’re all kind of experiencing this trip together. It’s really awesome how we bonded.”

One family, one house, and one team together changed everyone in just two days. So grateful to come back down to Mexico with @usfreeskiing @hopesports_ @thenorthface for this opportunity. Hope to continue this for many more years. #ussagivesback #neverstopexploring

A photo posted by Devin Logan (@devinlogan) on Jun 6, 2016 at 9:14am PDT

The volunteer work also proved emotional for the athletes.

“Myself and a few other athletes took the family shopping,” Cashman describes. “About half way through the shopping trip, Ian, the three-year-old son, found this swinging chair. With the biggest smile on his face, he climbed up on it and began to swing around. We pushed him every which way for about 15 minutes. It was amazing to see how much joy this one object brought this boy, and you could tell he had never seen anything like it. It is really hard to describe in words the joy it brings to myself seeing other people so happy.”

Day two began with taking this amazing family on a shopping spree!! Ian was more than excited to fill that cart up! #ussagivesback #YOGgivesback #neverstopexploring #smallcartbigdreams #usskiteamheist

A photo posted by U.S. Ski Team (@usskiteam) on Jun 5, 2016 at 5:52pm PDT

One of the challenges of the trip was the language barrier, but kindness turned out to be an international, unspoken language for the group.

“Even though there was a language barrier between myself and the family, they taught more than I ever though possible,” Cashman says. “They taught us to appreciate the small things in life because to someone else those could be the big things.”

Talbot echoes Cashman’s feelings on the trip.

“This experience has definitely changed me as a person, and made me realize what I have and I’m so grateful to do what I do,” she reflects. “Giving back really helps, and I think it’s the least we can do. I’m excited to continue giving back in the years to come.”

Ultimately, this trip was more about the volunteer work than creating an experience for the athletes. The impact of having a home is immeasurable.

Cashman concludes, “Seeing the look on their faces and the tears in their house, I knew we had not just built them a house, but we had built them a home.”