Cheryl Jensen
Cheryl’s contribution to snow sports is life changing. Cheryl founded The Vail Veterans Program (VVP) in 2004 which introduces severely injured veterans and their families to therapeutic outdoor sports. VVP started as an adaptive winter ski program for a small group of wounded warriors and grew to host a variety of programs serving nearly 3,500 injured military service members and raising over $22M in support of this vital mission. By keeping veterans active from the beginning of their recovery, their physical and mental health is improved, giving them hope and confidence. Many veterans who have experienced VVP made Colorado their home, becoming leaders in their communities and champions in Paralympic sports. Cheryl has received numerous awards, including the Outstanding Public Service Medal (Secretary of Defense), the Women’s Outstanding Work Award from the Women’s Foundation of Colorado, Outstanding Civilian Servant from the Chief of Staff of the Army, and the Women in Industry award from the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame. Cheryl founded Sharing Warmth Around the Globe in 2002 which was adopted by National Ski Areas Association resorts providing hundreds of thousands of retired winter resort uniforms to countries in need. Cheryl lives in Vail and serves on the boards of the Vail Valley Foundation and the Colorado-based DzI Foundation.