Participants trickled in before sunrise Thursday to experience an empty mountain and untouched groomers before the resort opened to the public during SOS Outreach’s third annual First Tracks ski day at Park City Mountain.The storm that blew in brought as much rain as snow, but there was a catered breakfast and warm camaraderie before speakers representing SOS Outreach spoke about the organization and its work in Park City. Mike Lewis, vice president of mountain operations at Park City Mountain, said First Tracks opportunities are limited and offered exclusively to nonprofit partners as a way for them to recognize, thank, or bring new people into their networks. Lewis, who served on the SOS Outreach board for six years, said that the program is dear to his heart.“It’s just an incredible organization,” he said. “I have three kids of my own, and I know the power of what it means for kids to have access to the mountains, and then coupled with the mentor and leadership component of SOS, is so critical to gaining confidence and that independence that comes with being on a mountain.”The gap in access to the mountain is one of the driving factors behind SOS Outreach’s mission, which seeks to provide underprivileged youth with the opportunity to connect with nature, build confidence and develop life skills through skiing and snowboarding. Last season the organization engaged over 3,000 kids and teens across 10 states, 15 communities and 23 mountain resorts and awarded over 590 scholarships to families along the way, said Seth Ehrlich, the organization’s CEO. Park City has grown into the largest SOS program hub, currently involving 600 kids and teens each year. Seth Ehrlich, CEO of SOS Outreach, welcomes attendees to Thursday’s First Tracks ski day event. Credit: Clayton Steward/Park Record“At SOS, we know that talent is equally distributed, but opportunity is not,” he said. “Which makes the need for scholarships critical to the work we do.”By breaking down barriers to access, SOS Outreach aims to ensure that all children, regardless of their background, can experience the transformative power of the mountains, he said.Fifteen-year-old SOS Outreach participant Jose Becerra said the program and his mentor, Rich Gershen, have profoundly impacted his life. “I want to be just as good a mentor as Rich because, I say this with my full heart, and believe it fully, he has really changed my life,” said Becerra. “If I could do that for one little kid, I could die happy. That’s something I really want to do.”Gershen said SOS has allowed him to create meaningful bonds with his four mentees and given him valuable lessons for his own life, particularly in how working with kids changed his approach to the mountain.The group of attendees for First Tracks gather for a picture before catching the first chairlift up of the day. Credit: Clayton Steward/Park Record“The first thing I learned on the mountain was when I was getting (the kids) out onto the mountain the first time. And well, ‘I forgot my gloves, I forgot my lift ticket,’” he said, explaining that these types of setbacks were contrary to his type-A personality and what he was accustomed to with his career and attitude on the mountain. “Getting on the mountain, I always wanted to be the first one on the lift and get my laps in,” he said. “Forget about that, that’s not happening. And so you learn there are other things in life. You learn a little patience, learn to be in the moment, and see these kids are all thrilled every second they’re out there. They’re in a line waiting to get on the lift, and they’re all happy as larks and now I am too, and that’s a great reason to be in SOS.”Jamie Rosales an alumni of the program who was at the event now is a mentor to three 10-year-old girls. “I love it. I mean, it gives me a whole different perspective on SOS in general, and just being able to mentor these kids, and being able to experience their firsts with them on the mountain is pretty cool,” she said. “Like their first time they heard the trees whistle on the mountain, the first time they experienced powder, the first time they went down a blue run. All these little achievements, it’s really cool to see, and how much they’ve grown as an overall person.”Skiers and snowboarders catch the first run of the day at Park City Mountain on Thursday morning. Credit: Clayton Steward/Park RecordRosales said she views her mentees as her 10-year-old self learning to ski for the first time. She emphasized that having a mentor who speaks both English and Spanish is beneficial for kids whose native tongue is Spanish.Rosales said she is able to help them by translating, giving them skiing tips, and explaining how to read signs on the slopes. “It’s a very warm feeling to have, knowing that these kids have someone they can look up to, and that they can feel comfortable with themselves and not be scared to speak their native tongue, native language, and knowing that someone has their back no matter what.”For more: sosoutreach.org/locations/park-city.The post SOS Outreach champions belonging in mountain sports appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less