Silverthorne, Colorado (August 15, 2024) – The United States Ski Mountaineering Association (USSMA or USA Skimo) is pleased to announce the successful launch of Project Podium, a donation-funded initiative created to ensure the success of USA skimo athletes in global competition. USA Skimo is also pleased to announce the appointment of Sarah Cookler to serve in the newly-created position of Head of Sport. In this capacity, Sarah will be responsible for leading Project Podium including USA Skimo’s sports initiatives in preparation for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics and beyond. 

Project Podium is a comprehensive new initiative by USA Skimo focused on lifting our national sport community and athletes to be consistently competitive on the world stage. Mike Paulus, a technology company founder and entrepreneur, has provided a significant initial donation to underwrite the first phase of Project Podium, including the critical step of hiring Sarah Cookler as Head of Sport. 

Sarah Cookler, is currently a board member of USA Skimo and the founder and Managing Director of Silverfork Ski Mountaineering Club. In this capacity, Sarah has been the sport’s leader in placing junior athletes onto the US National and Youth World Cup teams. Sarah is also the owner and Race Director for The Powderkeg Race which most recently served as our sport’s National and Continental Championships. Sarah also brings over 10 years of race experience as an accomplished Skimo racer. 

Anthony Armstrong, Executive Director of USA Skimo said “We are incredibly grateful to Mike Paulus for his significant donation to USA Skimo. Mike’s donation has enabled the successful launch of Project Podium, including the critical step of hiring Sarah as Head of Sport. Mike’s generosity will, for the first time in our sport’s history, allow us to fund a full program focused on identifying, developing, and training USA athletes to compete at a global level.” Anthony added “We are incredibly excited to have Sarah join us in a full-time capacity as Head of Sport. Finding a Head of Sport with Sarah’s background and skill set fulfills our most important mission which is to lift USA Skimo to a globally competitive level. Sarah’s experience as a highly successful club director, race director, coach, and athlete will bring the level of expertise we need to build out a world-class Sport program.” 

Sarah Cookler commented “I am extremely honored to have been recommended and selected for the Head of Sport for USA Skimo. We are about to witness monumental improvements in USA Skimo with the foundational financial support provided by Mike Paulus and others. I will strive to not only provide support for our top athletes, but develop a strong foundation nationwide that can serve as a pathway to the elite levels of ski mountaineering.” 

Mike Paulus commented “I invested in USA Skimo because it’s an organization at an inflection point. The combination of impressive new leadership and the Olympic opportunity provide a once-in-a-generation opportunity to grow the sport both at an elite performance level and mass participation. I look forward to continuing to work with USA Skimo leadership to ensure the success of Project Podium.” 

For more information on USA Skimo and Project Podium, please contact Sarah Cookler at sarah@ussma.org or Anthony Armstrong at armstrong@ussma.org. 

About USA Skimo 

USA Skimo sanctions and governs competitive ski mountaineering racing in the US and promotes and fosters recreational ski mountaineering through access, resources, education and community. 

Sanctioned skimo races in the United States abide by a series of rules, by discipline, as directed by the International Ski Mountaineering Federation (ISMF). USA Skimo is recognized by the ISMF as the national sport organization for the United States. USA Skimo is a 501(c)(3), non-profit, entity. Funds generated from membership race licenses, corporate sponsorships and generous support from donors are used for athlete development programs and to grow the sport of ski mountaineering in the US. Please consider a financial donation to help support the next generation of USA athletes on the world stage. To donate to USA Skimo, please visit https://www.usaskimo.org/donate/