Waterville Valley, NH, July 31, 2012…WVBBTS / Snowsports Educational Foundation is proud to announce that two-time Olympian, Hannah Kearney has joined our Board of Trustees.  In addition to her gold medal skiing in Freestyle, Kearney has the longest unbroken string of consecutive World Cup victories in skiing history at sixteen.

Kearney smiles with a determined look in her eye as she says, “I’m working on another streak!”

With regard to her new role as a board member, she says, “This is an opportunity to give back to the BBTS Club that is the foundation of my career. Meanwhile, I will be learning about the other side of the ski world, from the perspective of an athlete adviser, in preparation for my ultimate retirement.”

"It is very exciting to have one of our most distinguished alumni as a member of our board of Trustees. An Olympic gold medalist, Hanna holds the record for the longest FIS World Cup streak in all of Snowsports.  Hanna’s guidance and insight will be invaluable to BBTS as our Snowsports continue to evolve in new directions," says Robert Mann, Chairman of the WVBBTS Board of Trustees.

Kearney, is currently training at the Olympic venue in Lake Placid, and will be traveling to Chile for two weeks in mid-August for on-snow training.  She recently finished her second term at Dartmouth College, receiving top marks in all her classes, biological anthropology, international politics and environmental justice.

As an athlete, Kearney has accomplished many of her dreams through hard work, determination and sheer grit. A Vermont native, her training in the BBTS Club with Nick Preston prepared her to join USSA (the United States Ski Association) at age 16.  She has been with USSA, as an exceptional representative of the United States, for eleven years.

Kearney is proud to acknowledge that, “I will always represent USSA, throughout my life.”

Looking back, she says, “I’ve stayed in touch with BBTS because that’s where the people who got me to USSA are.  BBTS is where I established relationships built on trust and mutual respect that are critical to my athletic career.”

Generously sharing her time and talents, Kearney regularly returns to guest coach or free ski with BBTS kids, signing autographs and posing with children for photos and putting her young fans at ease with her friendly smile and relaxed demeanor.

Kearney observes that the children now starting their Freestyle training, “are getting an emphasis on acrobatic skills from a young age. This is very different than when I went through the process!  I see a whole new generation of athletes with great skills learned earlier.”

Add her new role on the WVBBTS / SEF board and as Kearney says, “It’s a balancing act with my main focus remaining on athletics.”

Kearney smiles as she adds, “It’s fun being back at BBTS, seeing the Prestons – Nick, who’s keeping it in the family with Wes and Marissa - and seeing children jumping for the first time, or honing tricks, on the new Phil’s Hill Airbag Training venue.  When I think back, the summer tramp camps are some of my best memories as a kid!”

WVBBTS / SEF is honored to have elite athlete of Kearney’s internationally championship level as a board member.  We are grateful for her insightful ideas, aimed at continually improving our snowsports training in the BBTS Club and through our Waterville Valley Academy, and wish her the best as she prepares to represent our country at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.