Protect Our Winters Strengthens its POW Riders Alliance

Jimmy Chin, Hilaree O’Neill, Chris Benchetler, Elena Hight and Michelle Parker Lead 12 New Advocates

Pacific Palisades, CA (February 22, 2016) – Protect Our Winters (POW) is proud to announce the addition of twelve professional athletes to the POW Riders Alliance, led by professional mountaineer and photographer Jimmy Chin.

“Jimmy has always been an unofficial member of the POW family,” explains Jeremy Jones, POW founder. “We’re honored that we’re finally making it official and are excited to take on climate change with such an influential voice in the outdoor sports community.”

Joining Chin are eleven other accomplished athletes from across the outdoor sports community, including: pro skier and mountaineer Hilaree O’Neill, Olympic snowboarder Elena Hight, skiers Michelle Parker, Chris Benchetler, Johnny Collinson, Kaya Turski, Anna Segal, Griffin Post, Lexi DuPont, KT Miller, and professional fly fisherman Hilary Hutcheson.

For the complete list of POW Riders Alliance members, click here.

The POW Riders Alliance is a group of over eighty highly accomplished professional outdoor sports athletes and artists focused on leveraging their visibility, platform and influence to build awareness and action against climate change. POW provides all of the athletes with climate resources and opportunities throughout the year to elevate their voices throughout the media and the outdoor sports community. With their unique first-hand perspective seeing the impacts of climate change and their ability to reach millions, their voices are extremely influential.

“I owe my life to the outdoors, “ comments Jimmy Chin. “It is where I have forged my strongest friendships, built my career and continue to draw inspiration. As a photographer and filmmaker I have seen first-hand and captured the dramatic impact climate change is having globally.”

POW athletes have been a consistent presence on Capitol Hill, in the media, in middle schools and high schools, at conferences and panel discussions, and on social media, speaking about the need and urgency for climate action.  In 2014, POW athletes helped generate widespread awareness for President Obama’s Climate Action Plan on social media, resulting in over 10 million impressions of the #ActOnClimate hashtag in the first week after the announcement.

“We’re thrilled to have these amazing athletes join the Riders Alliance,” said POW’s Executive Director, Chris Steinkamp, “Each athlete has a different perspective on climate change, and an incredibly effective and powerful voice which resonates in DC, within our industry and across our community.”

##