Outdoor Industries Women’s Coalition (OIWC) announces today that Lynsey Dyer and Vanessa Pierce, of She Jumps have been chosen as the 2008 recipient of the Pioneering Woman Award, and Sarah Bennett, Burton Snowboards has been selected as the recipient of the First Ascent Award.
PIONEERING WOMAN AWARD
Each year, Outdoor Industries Women’s Coalition recognizes a woman in the snowsports industry who has furthered the OIWC mission by demonstrating an outstanding commitment to mentoring female colleagues through exemplary leadership skills. For 2008, the Pioneering Woman Award (PWA) is presented to two women, Lynsey Dyer and Vanessa Pierce of SheJumps.com.
Lynsey, a professional freeskier, and Vanessa, Features Editor for Ski Racing Magazine, launched SheJumps.com in 2006. SheJumps is a community dedicated to acknowledging, inspiring, and supporting women to reach their potential. By offering an online magazine, challenging events, and financial support, SheJumps brings together women who are willing to take a risk to reach their potential.
The site will soon be a non-profit organization, aimed at raising funds to offer scholarships to women in the outdoor world who are ready to take a jump to reach their goals.
When learning they had won the award, Vanessa said, “To be honored with the OIWC Pioneering Woman award is the utmost compliment. Lynsey and I created SheJumps to help women pursue success, which is also the mission of OIWC. Challenging women within the industry — and outside — to be their best is our main purpose. It is so rewarding to see women we’ve inspired take a jump to enhance their careers, pursue their dreams, and ultimately enjoy life to the fullest.”
FIRST ASCENT AWARD
As a Global Supply & Planning Analyst for Burton, Sarah serves as a critical guidepost within her strategic planning department. In her nomination, Sarah is praised as having “extraordinary vision, a solid understanding of her profession, and superior leadership qualities. She is consistently amongst the first to step up to domestic and foreign assignments, thrives on challenge, and is a top-notch problem solver. She is passionate and driven, and gets the job done in spades. And, just as importantly when things go wrong, Sarah is among the first to assume responsibility …regardless. ”
Since beginning her path in the snowsports industry, Sarah says she has found a place where she can be herself while reaching for her goals. “Before Burton, I worked for four years in a female-dominated business where I felt not only a lack of respect, but a self-effacing inferiority from those around me. Working in action sports has liberated me – I am able to be 100% Sarah, with no apologies for being competitive, driven, and athletic. I come to work in this industry every day as a peer to the many inspiring people who share my passion for riding, being outside, and living life: I am home.
In accepting the award, Sarah said, “I am honored to have been chosen from among so many qualified, hardworking women. During my two and a half years at Burton I have been encouraged to grow and develop as a person and as a professional, and I have been given every possible tool and opportunity to do so. Success for me means striving, daily, to be a better communicator and constantly being aware that there are many right answers to the business challenges we face.”
