Gretchen Bleiler

I’m a Midwestern girl; I was born in Toledo, Ohio and grew up in Dayton until I was ten years old. Then my whole life changed. My family moved to Aspen, Colorado where we had “Avalanche Danger” days that kept us from going to school, climbed 14,000-foot peaks as part of my education, and I learned to snowboard.

From day one, snowboarding lead me down a totally different path and it’s that path that’s kept me laughing and continually intrigued. I love the satisfaction at the end of the day of over coming my fears, of spending all day outside working hard, and there’s nothing better than the feeling of landing a new trick for the first time.

I made my childhood dream of going to the Olympics come true through snowboarding, travel and learn about the world and my role in it through snowboarding, and because of snowboarding have lived experiences I never even dreamed of….and I’m a big dreamer! Now I’ve realized that I can use this success as a platform to voice the causes that are important to me and hopefully make a difference.

Along with Aspen/Snowmass, I created the first-ever all-girls halfpipe competition and photo shoot called the Snow Angels Invitational, am an active spokesperson in climate change and am involved with the Women’s Sports Foundation.

My other loves are surfing in warm tropical places, yoga, reading, mountain biking in Aspen, designing my signature apparel line with Oakley, and spending time with my family.

AWARDS
•    Nominated for 2009, 2008 and 2007 Teen Choice Award: Best Female Action Sports Athlete
•    2008 ESPY Women’s Action Sports Athlete of the Year
•    2008 Winner of National Geographic Adventurer of the Year Spirit Award
•    Nominated for 2008 and 2007 Teen Choice Awared: Best Female Action Sports Athlete
•    Voted 2006 Female Snowboarder of the Year at Fuel’s inaugural Action Sports Awards
•    Nominated for 2006 ESPY Award
•    Won 2004 and 2008 Colorado “Female Athlete of the Year” Award
•    Earned Transworld Snowboarding’s 2004 Reader’s Choice Award
•    Nominated for 2004 Laureus “Female Action Sports Athlete” Award
•    Named Snowboarder and Transworld Snowboarding 2003 “Female Rider of the Year”