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Applications open for athlete grants

VAIL — The Vail Valley Athlete Commission Program is now accepting applications for winter.

The Vail Valley has a long tradition of supporting athletes who compete on the international level, and the Vail Valley Athlete Commission Program awards as many as 15 grants each year to deserving athletes.

“Every year it’s our great honor to continue this tradition of supporting international athletes based here in the Vail Valley,” said the Vail Valley Foundation’s Mike Imhof. “It’s through the hard work of these individuals and the support provided by the community, that we can continue to be a world-class location for sports and athletics.”



Local Pepi Gramshammer originally conceived the idea for the Athlete Commission as a method to provide financial support for the valley’s deserving athletes. The program supports athletes participating in international competitions with components of scoring and ranking. Team athletes may only be considered if they have earned their place on the team via a scored or ranked individual accomplishment.

Former grant recipients include Paralympic alpine skier Ralph Green, alpine skier Abby Ghent, Olympic freestyle skier Heidi Kloser, Nordic skier Sylvan Ellefson, freeskier Taylor Seaton, trail runner Mandy Ortiz and many others.

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The commission consists of three funding partners: town of Vail, Vail Resorts and the Vail Valley Foundation.

Applicant Criteria

All applicants must meet the following criteria to be considered for funding:

• Applicants must compete in international competition outside of North America (special consideration will be given to major events such as the World Cup).

• Applicants must be residents of the Vail community for a minimum of three years and represent the Vail Valley in competition.

• Applicants must compete as individuals; no teams will be considered for funding. Team members may apply as an individual if their position on the team is based on individual ranking.

• Applicants must be a minimum age of 15 years; younger competitors will be considered on an individual basis.

In addition to these criteria, other consideration for funding will come from the athlete’s level of financial need and their level of competition.

Funds are given to up to 15 athletes each year on a bi-annual basis (winter and summer), however, applicants who meet the necessary criteria can only receive funding once per calendar year.

Applications must be received by Oct. 30, and funds will be distributed by Nov. 13.

To apply, visitvvf.org/get-involved/vail- valley-athlete-commission-program.aspx.


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