Who is Jenny Jones?
In 2014, Jenny became the first British person to bag an Olympic Medal on the snow. Up to that point Team GB had medals for Curling, Skating, Bobsled, Ice Hockey & Skeleton but none for skiing or snowboarding. So when we got one on snow it was a big deal and elevated Jenny Jones to a national hero.
At the time it wasn’t just a big deal for the country. It was also a big deal for Jones as it was the first time the event had been in the winter games and probably, at 33 years old, the only chance she had at an Olympic Medal.
Like most successful Olympians there is long journey to get there. This is a short version of that story.
Getting the Bug
Jones has always been an athlete but before snowboarding she competed in Gymnastic & Athletic competitions.
Jenny was 16 when she first tried out snowboarding on a dry slope near her hometown of Bristol. It took a holiday to the snow to convince her that she wanted to do it more often.
After working a season as a chalet host in the resort of Tignes, she started to compete in various local competitions and working to fund her riding during the summer months.
FIND OUT HOW YOU COULD BE RIDING IN MÉRIBEL WITH JENNY THIS APRIL
Competing
In 1999 she won The Brits Big Air Comp and then started hauling in medals at competitions around the globe.
The Brits In America – X Games With Jenny Jones from Tim Ackroyd on Vimeo.
From 2009 to 2011 Jenny dominated the medal tables of the X Games, securing her place as one of the world’s best in slopestyle.
The FIS had started to pay attention to the growing popularity of slopestyle and added it to its roster of World Cup events in 2011. Two seasons later Jones secured a win at the opening competition in New Zealand.
This lead to her inclusion in the GB squad for the Winter Games in Sochi 2014, where she went on to take Bronze in the slopestyle event.
Most people put her success down to natural talent and hard work, Jenny attributes her results to the tea bag she tucks into her bra when competing.
Post Olympic Success
Since the games Jenny has presented her own radio 5 show about extreme sports and makes regular appearances on Ski Sunday. She was one of the main presenters and commentators on the recent 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
She also spends her time doing photo shoots for her sponsors which involves epic trips to the mountains and coaching people who want to improve their riding.
When not chasing the snow Jenny spends her time surfing in the Westcountry.
This winter Jenny Jones is also joining the Ticket To Ride Girls Snowboard Camp in April. To find out how you could be riding with her check out the camp page or give us a call on 0208 7899 055.