Voisin selects Libby skier for freestyle team scholarship

Olympian Maggie Voisin has announced that the 2020-21 Whitefish Freestyle Team Scholarship has been awarded to Riley McNew, a 13-year-old girl from Libby.

McNew commutes two hours each way every Saturday to participate with the freestyle snowboard team, which she joined last winter. The scholarship award covers $1,030 in fees for a team membership and season pass.

“Among all the amazing scholarship letters I received, Riley’s struck me for the heart she put into it,” Voisin said. “Riley is a hard worker, dedicated to learning and growing, and she is grateful for her supportive family. Her expression of joy for the sport, and the smile it brings to her face, is a reflection of my own joy and the feeling I’ve had my whole life skiing.”

Voisin was born and raised in Whitefish and is an alumnus of Whitefish Mountain Resort’s Freestyle Team. She is a current member of the U.S. Freeski team, a two-time Olympian, and an X-Games gold medalist. Maggie has been sponsored by Explore Whitefish since she was 13, which helped cover competition and travel expenses in her early years.

Voisin reviewed written essays that were submitted for the award, and selected the winner who best portrayed their passion for freestyle skiing or snowboarding, their dedication to improvement, how they will commit to hard work, as well as their appreciation for the sport and why it is fun.

The Maggie Voisin scholarship is unique, as traditional athletic scholarships are often based on performance or financial need. Whitefish Freestyle Inc., the nonprofit partner to the Freestyle Team, offers their own financial need-based scholarship program.