Lex Jackson - Red Bull Crashed Ice
Donation protected
Hey Team!
Here’s the short story:
I compete in this cool sport called Ice Cross Downhill. I get to ice skate down a frozen track with all sorts of gnarly features and three other rad women who want to beat me to the finish line. I race Ice Cross Downhill because it keeps me happy and healthy. I’ve had an unexpectedly awesome season so far – I’m ranked 1st in the United States and 4th in the world. As the top-ranked woman in the country, I have been invited to compete in the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship tour, with races in Canada, Germany, Finland, and the United States. Unfortunately, I can’t fly to all of these awesome places without some financial help. It would mean the world to me if you would chip in whatever you can so that I can pursue my passion!
Here’s the long story:
I grew up outside of Burlington, Vermont, playing ice hockey and skiing. By the time college rolled around I was frustrated with the competitive spirit that was manifest in so many facets of my life, from sports to academics to relationships. Exhausted from years of elite hockey, I decided to invest my energy in something only if it was fun and made me happy. But finding peace and fulfillment and time for self-reflection in the go-go-go-all-the-time setting of Colby College proved difficult for me. By my sophomore fall, I was overwhelmed by all of the stress and stimuli. I was painfully aware that I didn't have a clue who I was at my core. I was also painfully aware that I had no idea how to take care of myself.
So, I took a semester off and thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail. Nature has a beautiful way of making us raw enough to understand who we are. While on trail, I spent a lot of time getting comfortable being alone with myself. I earned a more profound understanding of what I valued in life, namely simplicity, adventure, and being outside.
The hardest part of thru-hiking the AT, however, was returning to society. Sílvia Vidal says, of climbing, “In so many hours alone with yourself, you begin to open your heart. Later, when you descend the wall, you start to lose yourself again.” This is precisely how I felt. I felt lonely, lost, and uninspired. I felt that, away from the trail, I no longer had the tools to be happy. I was disappointed in myself for spending all of that time in the woods discovering who I wanted to be, only to go home and not be that person. Slowly, I slipped into a deep depression. This, I now know, was a result of learning to manage my mental health in a very specific context, and not being able to translate the bigger-picture concepts to my everyday life.
I've been learning to co-exist with my depression for the past two years. I've taken more time off of school. I've spent three winters ski patrolling at Stowe Mountain Resort. I've trained for triathlons and mud runs. Again and again I find myself escaping into the woods. But nothing makes me want to wake up in the morning the way that Ice Cross Downhill does.
Last winter, deep in the clutches of my depression, I read "Tiny Beautiful Things" by Cheryl Strayed. In this collection of advice columns, Strayed preaches that you are the only person who can change your life. Empowered by the realization of my own agency, I signed up for my first Ice Cross Downhill race at Afton Alps in Minnesota. Ice Cross Downhill is sort of like ice-skating down a bobsled course with jumps and rollers and obstacles and three other girls trying to get down before you. I don't quite know how to explain the feeling of flying down an icy track at 45 miles per hour, other than to say that it makes my heart sing. I've been chasing that feeling ever since. I feel that way when I'm racing, when I'm training, when I’m skiing, when I’m hiking, and when I’m climbing. It's a feeling that makes me want to be alive. Given my history with mental illness, this is no small thing.
I placed 6th at the Red Bull Rider's Cup in Afton Alps, MN in January. I then went on to place 1st in the Course Xtreme in Bathurst, New Brunswick, in February. This placement qualified me for the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship in Quebec City over Thanksgiving weekend, where I came in 4th. Now, as the top-ranked woman in the United States, I have been invited to compete in the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship series. This year is particularly exciting for Red Bull Crashed Ice because it’s the year of the first ever women’s world championship! Here’s the race line-up for this year:
Red Bull Crashed Ice, Quebec City, QC, Canada – November 27-28
Red Bull Crashed Ice, Munich, Germany – January 8-9
Red Bull Crashed Ice, Jyväskylä/Laajis, Finland – January 29-30
Red Bull Riders Cup, Bathurst, NB, Canada – February 5-6
Red Bull Riders Cup, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada – February 12-13
Red Bull Riders Cup, Mont du Lac, WI, United States – February 19-20
Red Bull Crashed Ice, St. Paul, MN, United States – February 26-27
I’m excited to go on the tour, because having something to train for keeps me mentally and physically healthy. It motivates and inspires me. It makes me proud of who I am and what I’m doing.
But, between airfare and lodging and gear, it’s simply not possible to make all of the races without financial help. I would be most grateful for anything that you can contribute.
Here are some suggested donations:
$6 – one skate sharpening
$14 – skate guards
$23 – hockey socks
$30 – screen printing of jersey
$50 – registration fee for a Riders Cup
$70 – one night’s stay in a hotel room
$120 – POC spine protector
$500 – round-trip flight to Minnesota (and I’ll give you a medium-sized space on my jersey for advertising)
$900 – round-trip flight to Germany or Finland (and I’ll give you a large space on my jersey for advertising)
Additionally, if you know of any companies that may want to sponsor me, let me know, and I’ll give you my eternal love.
Thank you to SheJumps for helping with publicity and swag – they’re a cool non-profit dedicated to getting women outdoors and you should check them out! http://shejumps.org/
Thank you also to Unknown Arts of Burlington, VT, for screen-printing my jersey. Shop local! http://unknownartstudio.com/
And THANK YOU to all of you for supporting me on this grand adventure. Ice Cross Downhill makes my heart sing, and I couldn’t do it without you.
With Love and Gratitude,
Lex Jackson
Here's a link to a video recap of the women's world championship race in Quebec City over Thanksgiving - you can spot me in yellow:
http://www.redbullcrashedice.com/en_US/video/giant-leap-women-quebec-city
Here’s the short story:
I compete in this cool sport called Ice Cross Downhill. I get to ice skate down a frozen track with all sorts of gnarly features and three other rad women who want to beat me to the finish line. I race Ice Cross Downhill because it keeps me happy and healthy. I’ve had an unexpectedly awesome season so far – I’m ranked 1st in the United States and 4th in the world. As the top-ranked woman in the country, I have been invited to compete in the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship tour, with races in Canada, Germany, Finland, and the United States. Unfortunately, I can’t fly to all of these awesome places without some financial help. It would mean the world to me if you would chip in whatever you can so that I can pursue my passion!
Here’s the long story:
I grew up outside of Burlington, Vermont, playing ice hockey and skiing. By the time college rolled around I was frustrated with the competitive spirit that was manifest in so many facets of my life, from sports to academics to relationships. Exhausted from years of elite hockey, I decided to invest my energy in something only if it was fun and made me happy. But finding peace and fulfillment and time for self-reflection in the go-go-go-all-the-time setting of Colby College proved difficult for me. By my sophomore fall, I was overwhelmed by all of the stress and stimuli. I was painfully aware that I didn't have a clue who I was at my core. I was also painfully aware that I had no idea how to take care of myself.
So, I took a semester off and thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail. Nature has a beautiful way of making us raw enough to understand who we are. While on trail, I spent a lot of time getting comfortable being alone with myself. I earned a more profound understanding of what I valued in life, namely simplicity, adventure, and being outside.
The hardest part of thru-hiking the AT, however, was returning to society. Sílvia Vidal says, of climbing, “In so many hours alone with yourself, you begin to open your heart. Later, when you descend the wall, you start to lose yourself again.” This is precisely how I felt. I felt lonely, lost, and uninspired. I felt that, away from the trail, I no longer had the tools to be happy. I was disappointed in myself for spending all of that time in the woods discovering who I wanted to be, only to go home and not be that person. Slowly, I slipped into a deep depression. This, I now know, was a result of learning to manage my mental health in a very specific context, and not being able to translate the bigger-picture concepts to my everyday life.
I've been learning to co-exist with my depression for the past two years. I've taken more time off of school. I've spent three winters ski patrolling at Stowe Mountain Resort. I've trained for triathlons and mud runs. Again and again I find myself escaping into the woods. But nothing makes me want to wake up in the morning the way that Ice Cross Downhill does.
Last winter, deep in the clutches of my depression, I read "Tiny Beautiful Things" by Cheryl Strayed. In this collection of advice columns, Strayed preaches that you are the only person who can change your life. Empowered by the realization of my own agency, I signed up for my first Ice Cross Downhill race at Afton Alps in Minnesota. Ice Cross Downhill is sort of like ice-skating down a bobsled course with jumps and rollers and obstacles and three other girls trying to get down before you. I don't quite know how to explain the feeling of flying down an icy track at 45 miles per hour, other than to say that it makes my heart sing. I've been chasing that feeling ever since. I feel that way when I'm racing, when I'm training, when I’m skiing, when I’m hiking, and when I’m climbing. It's a feeling that makes me want to be alive. Given my history with mental illness, this is no small thing.
I placed 6th at the Red Bull Rider's Cup in Afton Alps, MN in January. I then went on to place 1st in the Course Xtreme in Bathurst, New Brunswick, in February. This placement qualified me for the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship in Quebec City over Thanksgiving weekend, where I came in 4th. Now, as the top-ranked woman in the United States, I have been invited to compete in the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship series. This year is particularly exciting for Red Bull Crashed Ice because it’s the year of the first ever women’s world championship! Here’s the race line-up for this year:
Red Bull Crashed Ice, Quebec City, QC, Canada – November 27-28
Red Bull Crashed Ice, Munich, Germany – January 8-9
Red Bull Crashed Ice, Jyväskylä/Laajis, Finland – January 29-30
Red Bull Riders Cup, Bathurst, NB, Canada – February 5-6
Red Bull Riders Cup, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada – February 12-13
Red Bull Riders Cup, Mont du Lac, WI, United States – February 19-20
Red Bull Crashed Ice, St. Paul, MN, United States – February 26-27
I’m excited to go on the tour, because having something to train for keeps me mentally and physically healthy. It motivates and inspires me. It makes me proud of who I am and what I’m doing.
But, between airfare and lodging and gear, it’s simply not possible to make all of the races without financial help. I would be most grateful for anything that you can contribute.
Here are some suggested donations:
$6 – one skate sharpening
$14 – skate guards
$23 – hockey socks
$30 – screen printing of jersey
$50 – registration fee for a Riders Cup
$70 – one night’s stay in a hotel room
$120 – POC spine protector
$500 – round-trip flight to Minnesota (and I’ll give you a medium-sized space on my jersey for advertising)
$900 – round-trip flight to Germany or Finland (and I’ll give you a large space on my jersey for advertising)
Additionally, if you know of any companies that may want to sponsor me, let me know, and I’ll give you my eternal love.
Thank you to SheJumps for helping with publicity and swag – they’re a cool non-profit dedicated to getting women outdoors and you should check them out! http://shejumps.org/
Thank you also to Unknown Arts of Burlington, VT, for screen-printing my jersey. Shop local! http://unknownartstudio.com/
And THANK YOU to all of you for supporting me on this grand adventure. Ice Cross Downhill makes my heart sing, and I couldn’t do it without you.
With Love and Gratitude,
Lex Jackson
Here's a link to a video recap of the women's world championship race in Quebec City over Thanksgiving - you can spot me in yellow:
http://www.redbullcrashedice.com/en_US/video/giant-leap-women-quebec-city
Organizer
Lex Jackson
Organizer
Shelburne, VT