A two-day camp was held at the Vail Mountain School last August. The camp was hosted by former Olympic skier Libby Ludlow, and an organization called Z Girls in partnership with the Lindsey Vonn Foundation.
Ninety girls completed an active and educational program 100 percent funded by the Lindsey Vonn Foundation. With the help of dedicated staff and volunteers, the camp accomplished exactly what we set out to do: To have each girl walk away more confident than when she arrived. In fact, a survey conducted by Z Girls after the camp showed that 97 percent of girls agreed, they can “overcome any challenge” they encounter.
The post-camp survey allowed girls to share their thoughts and feelings about the experience, highlighting what they found especially enriching and helpful:
“The biggest thing I learned was to believe in myself because I can accomplish anything.”
“You can't be the best person at everything but you can look at the things you need to work on and be the best you can be.”
Parents also took the survey. Their responses were insightful and moving:
“The messages about reframing, being strong and having Lindsey Vonn around were extremely powerful for my daughter. After sitting through the closing ceremonies, it occurred to me that adults pay thousands of dollars for this kind of life coaching. These themes are so important for girls and women for their entire lives. My daughter loved all of the activities and said yoga and hiking were her favorites.”
“My 13-year-old daughter enjoyed every minute she spent at the Lindsey Vonn Foundation Camp for Girls. She says, "It was one of the best weekends of my life because I learned a lot about self-empowerment and self-confidence." Caroline learned how to take negative comments and re-frame them into positive feedback, which she can use to improve herself in her sport. She made a lot of new friends. We are thrilled because being a new teenager can be incredibly daunting for any girl so this type of outstanding support helps prepare her to tackles obstacles she will surely encounter.”
It was so amazing to hear positive feedback from the girls and their parents! We learned a lot during summer camp about what was successful and what can be improved. Taking the time to reflect on our own work is a part of the process at the Lindsey Vonn Foundation. It ensures we’re giving the girls we serve the best experience possible. We’re excited to apply what we learned to the next camp and to make it unforgettable! A special thank you to Z Girls and to all the staff and volunteers to help put on this program. The girls had a blast! Check out the highlight video here.