Featured Image: Iz La Motte | Skiers: Megan McJames & Anna Marno
Megan McJames made a name for herself in the ski industry as a three-time Olympic ski racer at the 2010, 2014 and 2018 games. More impressively, she made her second and third Olympic appearances independently, without the support of the U.S. Ski Team. While some would look at that as a setback, McJames saw the opportunity to approach the very rigid sport her own way, and it ultimately paid off with a fruitful career.
"I feel so grateful because I don’t have any regrets about my ski racing career," McJames tells me over the phone. "Not because of medals won but because I lived my athletic journey on my own terms and did it my own way. I think that’s something you can bring into your life after [sport], especially with this message of motherhood and parenting."
Just after McJames retired from ski racing and started exploring the world of powder skiing at Alta Ski Area and introducing herself to the backcountry in the Cottonwood Canyons, she and her husband decided to have kids. Suddenly, McJames' identity went from a skier to also a mother and a caretaker. "Trails Still Blazing" is the story of how one ski-obsessed mother works her days to ensure she always gets a few turns in, and teaches her daughters the love of the sport along the way. Whether you're a parent, thinking about becoming a parent, or were raised by a ski-obsessed parent yourself, McJames's story is one we can all relate to. We're all skiers and then some and we're all cultivating lives that support the multiple aspects of ourselves to live a life true to us.
"I think there’s a lot of intuition that goes into it," says McJames of being a mother. "There’s not a right or wrong way but finding your way. I think that’s something I learned in sport that’s relevant in life after."
From YouTube:
Megan McJames carved her own path in her alpine ski racing career, culminating in three Olympic performances. Her newest path into motherhood takes the values she found in her athletic career and applies them to that of being a parent — notably, doing things her own way.
Trails Still Blazing explores the balance between women as caregivers and women as adventurers. This film is a love letter to women everywhere who are experiencing both, a pursuit of passion and of parenthood.
A film by Iz La Motte, starring Megan McJames.
Presented by ‪@theflaskap‬ with support from Flylow Gear.
Directed by: Iz La Motte
Starring: Megan McJames
Featuring: Cody Marshall, Anna Marno
Principal Cinematography: Iz La Motte
Additional Cinematography: Hennie Van Jaarsveld, Sean Slobodan
Editor: Iz La Motte
Sound: Jer Coons
Graphics: Katie Cooney
Location: Alta Ski Area and surrounding backcountry
