Maria Martinez was first introduced to SOS Outreach over a 15 years ago while in middle school. At the time, she was just excited to learn to snowboard with her friends. However, little did she know, that her journey with SOS would transpire into so much more.
“I had snowboarded a handful of times before through school,” reflects Martinez, “but SOS was really the first time that I got into it.” Martinez participated in SOS for a few years through middle school, but as she entered high school, her involvement with SOS ended.
Though only a few years, Maria’s time in SOS wasn’t without impact. “Growing up in the Hispanic community, my mom worked in the hotel industry and my dad in property management, and though they were loosely involved in the ski industry they never truly got to participate. Prior to SOS, I thought skiing and snowboarding was something that people like me didn’t do, but SOS made me feel like anybody can do this,” says Martinez, “…it was eye-opening”.
Through high school and beyond, Maria snowboarded occasionally, but through the twists and turns of life, largely fell out of the sport. After attending and graduating from Colorado Mountain College, Maria saw an opening with SOS as a program assistant. She applied and started that winter.
“I was really nervous coming back to SOS in this capacity because I hadn’t snowboarded in a while, but once I started, I quickly realized it was about so much more than riding, it was about building relationships,” remembers Martinez. As a Spanish speaker, Maria was able to communicate with families and relay program information to help new families understand all that SOS had to offer.
“I felt kind of emotional to think about the opportunity that these kids in SOS were getting, especially the kids who were going through the mentor program,” says Martinez, “it was clear that kids were getting so much out of it and I made it a priority to communicate this opportunity to families.”
After a few seasons working with SOS, Maria became a snowboard instructor at Beaver Creek Resort. Outside of work, she volunteered as a backup mentor for the program. But her involvement didn’t stop there. During her time at Beaver Creek, she was an instructor for SOS participants in the introductory program – kids who were just like her when she was in middle school.
“I felt really proud to be working with these kids and helping them feel welcome in a new sport. Even though I don’t instruct anymore, I still see some of these kids around town. A couple of them are graduating high school this year!”
Today, Maria works at Edward Jones and is the proud mother of two boys. Her oldest, David who is 10, just started SOS this season. Maria is excited and hopeful for what her sons will gain from the program. “Growing up, I didn’t have healthy adults in my life, like I never saw adults work out or do sports, SOS showed me that there are all these volunteers, who have families, juggling jobs and other responsibilities, and also snowboard and lead a healthy active lifestyle, so I hope that my kids learn that they can live that way too”.
But more than anything, Maria hopes that her sons feel a sense of belonging through the program, “I hope snowboarding is something they do for a long time, but more importantly I hope they meet friends, find community, and build connections through the sport.“
Maria says her eldest son loves the program and his younger brother is eager to join. “I truly love what SOS does for the kids here in the valley,” says Martinez, “the amount of work that the program in Eagle County does is massive and the fact they can serve that many kids is life-changing. I’m so grateful for my involvement in this program.”
