JENNY JONES

She won her way into the nation’s hearts when she became Great Britain’s first Winter Olympics medallist on snow in 2014. An inspiration for a new generation of snowboarders, she talks to Louise Hall about the driving forces behind her success

Jenny Jones third from the left, won bronze at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi

My job in a nutshell

One day might be filming, another coaching, another riding powder in Japan. But perhaps the most satisfying aspect has been starting up my snowboard and mindset workshops three years ago. The workshops combine expert snowboarding coaching with yoga and sports psychology; the idea is to share exclusive access to the team that drove my success, and give people an insight into the support an elite athlete receives.

How it all began

There isn’t really a ‘typical’ day, which is why I enjoy it all so much still. A typical mindset workshop day is spent popping ollies and teaching 180s on the pistes of Sainte Foy. Then, in the evening, preparing clients for, say, the ridge-line hike the next day to get to some freshies… Sainte Foy’s terrain is awesome. 

Another week, it might be shredding powder with clients on a backcountry workshop in Japan, heading down to an onsen to relax, followed by some of the freshest sushi you’ll ever taste. Or perhaps launching off jumps in Laax during one of my freestyle workshops, coaching people how to ride a halfpipe for the first time and seeing them stoked in their progression. 

Other weeks, I’ll be away with the BBC crew filming for Ski Sunday, interviewing inspirational athletes, which is always rewarding – such incredible stories. Or some days I might be surfing the beaches of North Devon around Croyde, where I now live. Or eating the odd pasty…

My typical day

There isn’t really a ‘typical’ day, which is why I enjoy it all so much still. A typical mindset workshop day is spent popping ollies and teaching 180s on the pistes of Sainte Foy. Then, in the evening, preparing clients for, say, the ridge-line hike the next day to get to some freshies… Sainte Foy’s terrain is awesome. 

Another week, it might be shredding powder with clients on a backcountry workshop in Japan, heading down to an onsen to relax, followed by some of the freshest sushi you’ll ever taste. Or perhaps launching off jumps in Laax during one of my freestyle workshops, coaching people how to ride a halfpipe for the first time and seeing them stoked in their progression. 

Other weeks, I’ll be away with the BBC crew filming for Ski Sunday, interviewing inspirational athletes, which is always rewarding – such incredible stories. Or some days I might be surfing the beaches of North Devon around Croyde, where I now live. Or eating the odd pasty…

Highlight of my career so far

Competition-wise, it has to be winning three X Games slopestyle golds and a bronze medal at the Winter Olympics. Landing my first 720 spin and riding powder in Japan for the first time have been memorable moments too, along with filming women’s snowboard movies, visiting beautiful places, and meeting folk I may otherwise have not. 

What I love most about my job...

The workshops take a lot of work, but I absolutely love running them. I’m proud to see how much people get from them because of all the expertise and energy involved. Sharing the experiences I’ve had and exposing clients to new snowboard terrain, while supporting them, leads to them achieving a lot more than maybe even they expected.

The hardest part is…

The constant travel: unpack, repack… and of course injuries.

My future plans

I’d love to develop the workshops further – keeping the variety and bespoke element, using different locations and experts. I’d like to keep presenting features for BBC Ski Sunday, as I enjoy keeping winter sports alive to the masses. I look forward to finishing my BASI coaching exams, and may look to do some more private coaching, as well as  the Junior GB team. 

I plan on progressing my surfing – it’s great for pushing comfort zones – and, further down the line, there will be some new personal goals for snowboard backcountry mountain adventures, too. Exciting times.

Sushi and mega jumps... just a typical day in the office for Ms Jones