As a ski racer from the East Coast and a lifelong athlete, she knew she wanted to be out West. The National Ability Center hired her as a therapist, and she also ran their adaptive ski program. “I was really lucky. I mean, who goes to school these days and then gets their career job right after school?” she says.
These days, Julie is still working with kids and the outdoors as the director of one of Park City’s most popular camps, Young Riders, a position she has held for almost 18 years. Young Riders is a grassroots mountain bike program and nonprofit that teaches kids mountain biking and life skills.
Each year, the camp works with around 400 kids ages 5 to 14 and employs around 50 coaches, many of whom are schoolteachers off for the summer or riders who went through the program themselves. Young Riders offers week-long camps and once-a- week programs for local or visiting kids.
“Safety first, having fun and learning something new are our top priorities,” Julie explains.
In addition to biking, kids learn trail etiquette, map reading and how to change a tire and troubleshoot issues out on the trail. The programs are developed for cross-country mountain biking, so the kids often have to earn their downhill thrills.
One of Julie’s priorities is keeping groups small, capping them at 13 riders. Three coaches lead the charge — one adult coach (17 and over), one 15-to-16-year-old coach and a junior coach, who is usually around 14 and came up through the program.