Jaelin’s Love Story
Dear World,
My name is Jaelin Kauf. I am a U.S. Ski Team Freestyle Mogul skier, a two-time Olympian, and an Olympic Silver Medalist. I have been traveling, training, and competing on the World Cup Circuit for 10 years now.
I’m one of the lucky ones. Because I absolutely love what I do.
I love skiing. I love competing. And I love pushing myself.
That includes setting new limits and being part of progressing my sport.
So where does my love story begin?
My love affair with skiing is pretty much the story of “me”. Growing up in Alta, Wyoming, at the base of the Tetons, skiing was more than a sport – it was a way of life. I practically had ski boots on before I could walk, and those first clicks into my skis marked the beginning of a lifelong passion.
Grand Targhee Resort, our local ski haven, felt like our own secret paradise just a short 15-minute drive away. Summers were about exploring the terrain out in nature, but winters? Winters were an endless loop of powdery mountain bliss.
My older brother Skyler, a day one ski fanatic, played a huge part in shaping my love of the slopes. Even at age 5, he couldn't get enough of it, always wanting to ski till last chair. I was his sidekick, zipping along right at his heals wherever he would go. The ski resort transformed into our playground – our mountain, our rules.
Although both my parents were professional skiers, it was always so much bigger and so much more than that. There was always a deep instilled love for being outdoors, in the mountains and with my family.
We skied because we loved it.
We were on the slopes every weekend. If we were lucky, powder days meant skipping school! And it wouldn’t be Christmas without chasing my parents or brother down a trail. It has always been a family thing. A tradition. Not just a sport.
These ski memories aren’t of some picture-perfect ski family you might be imagining. But, in an incredible way, that has been the beauty of it all. Through everything in my life, the ups and downs, the splitting and growing of my family tree, skiing remained our constant. On the hill, it felt like everything else melted away, and we always found solace in the shared joy of skiing as a unit.
Just as with everything else, I chased my brother right into ski competitions and it didn’t take long before I was hooked too.
I love competing in mogul skiing. I have so much fun doing what I do! Constantly striving to go faster, push bigger and ski stronger.
That’s the beauty of the crazy unique combination that mogul skiing is. It’s every aspect of skiing packed into an under 30 second run. It’s exhilarating and, to me, calming at the same time. It’s indescribably fun doing what I do, but it’s also intensely hard. It’s come with a lot of sacrifice, a lot of dedication and heartbreak. It can be exhausting and frustrating and absolutely devastating. Yet, when you put it all together, like when I found myself with a Silver medal around my neck in Beijing on an Olympic podium, nothing short of timeless, emotional and euphoric.
This whole journey began with a rooted love for being in the mountains and that’s my daily drive, my reminder of where I started, and why I fell in love with skiing in the first place. Over the years, beyond the personal victories, skiing brought a whole community into my life. Friends, families, and my tribe – all united under a shared thrill of the sport.
My love story with skiing is so much bigger than the moguls and the medals. It's about the mountains, the rush, the family traditions, and that unspoken bond with the sport that defines who I am.
I found me in that skiing.
That’s what Deliver The Love is all about.
What about you?
What do you love?
Maybe it’s on the slopes.
Maybe it’s learned in school.
Maybe it’s something else.
Maybe you don’t know yet.
That’s ok, too.
My challenge to you?
Go find that one thing you love.
Because once you do…
You can go run your own race.
Always With Love,
—Jaelin Kauf