A Park City transplant from Florida, Jessica Jerome wasted little time moving from sand to snow. Just two years after skiing for the first time, Jerome was on jump skis, and at 14 she was a Junior Olympic Champion. Since then, Jerome has emerged along the leading edge of the growing women’s ski jumping discipline.

Jerome finished ninth in the 2013 overall World Cup standings, scoring in nearly every event she took part in. She was also part of the U.S. World Ski Championships team that finished sixth in Val di Fiemme, Italy.

The now Utah-native Jerome has won six career U.S. titles and bagged 20 Continental Cup podiums, including her first win in 2010 at Rovaniemi, Finland. She also earned her first World Cup podium in 2012 with a third-place finish.

Part of a talented U.S. squad, Jerome sees 2014 and Sochi as an opportunity to make history and cap a successful competitive career.

JESSICA SAYS
This past season was a huge success as a team. We won the Nations Cup by a long shot, and, along with Sarah's [Hendrickson] overall win, we had three girls in the top 10. We have shown the world that we are strong as individuals and even stronger as a team. I am excited to keep the momentum going. Hopefully we will bring many more crystal globes home!

FIRST TRACKS
Like many of the top U.S. ski jumpers, Jerome is a product of the 2002 Olympic legacy. She learned about jumping when a local nordic club visited her elementary school. She eventually talked her parents into letting her join the Park City Nordic Ski Club. "They came to my elementary school and talked about their program to us during second grade, so I told my mom I wanted to sign up, but my parents thought it was too dangerous and didn't take it seriously," says Jerome. She finally bugged them enough to get involved with the afterschool program and she kept making strides from there.

OFF THE SNOW
Jerome is currently finishing an economics degree at Westminster College, fitting school work into her training schedule as often as she can. In her spare time she likes to participate in various outdoor activities as well as travel to sandy beaches.