Former U.S. Ski Team Athlete and Olympian Writes Children's Book
There are two things that former U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete, Olympian, and Dartmouth graduate Libby Ludlow has always loved: skiing and writing. Ludlow's passions have merged as she has written her first book. She says that the greatest gift her parents gave her was her lifelong love for skiing, “I was able to endure the rigors of being a professional athlete simply because I adored my sport.”
With her passion for skiing still strong ten years after retiring from the U.S. Ski Team, Ludlow is the first to point out that her love for skiing started way back on the bunny hill when she was two years old. “Skiing is such a special sport, the mountain is a like a gigantic playground. I want the next generation of skiers to fall in love with skiing as much as I did.”
On November 13th, Ludlow launched A-B-Skis, a children’s alphabet book about the magical world of skiing. “I couldn’t be more excited to make A-B-Skis available to the skiing community. Adults will treasure sharing it with the kids in their life, and kids won’t be able to wait for their next trip to the ski hill.”
Designed to instill a lifelong love for skiing, A-B-Skis is a glimpse into everything that’s at the heart of the sport—from hot chocolate breaks to ripping runs with friends. The colorful illustrations by PSIA ski instructor Nathan Jarvis pique kid’s curiosity for the winter wonderland that awaits them on the slopes, while playful rhymes guide kids through everything they can expect on a typical ski day.
“I’ve always been an avid writer,” says Ludlow, “A-B-Skis is the perfect intersection of my passion for skiing, my love of writing, and my interest as a mom to share memorable experiences with my toddler. By using Kickstarter to launch A-B-Skis, Ludlow is collecting the orders needed to finalize her self-publishing push. She says that while her primary motivation for writing A-B-Skis is to help kids fall in love with the magic of skiing, the added benefit comes in the improved expectations and life-lessons that kids glean from the book.
“To me, an adult’s primary job when it comes to introducing kids to a new sport is to make sure they love it for life. A-B-Skis makes it easier for adults to share the stoke of skiing with their little ones.”
The funds from the Kickstarter campaign will help Ludlow pay for the cost to publish the book. Purchase by December 13th on Kickstarter. It is expected to be on shelves in the fall of 2019. To view or donate to the campaign, visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/abskis/a-b-skis.