Even with technological difficulties during an interview over Zoom, you can absolutely tell that Nancy O’Brien has a friendly, outgoing personality; her energy shines right through the screen. This attitude is just one of the many skills the Vermont native possesses and uses as Quechee Club’s director of Quechee Ski and Sports School at Ski Quechee. After 17 years as a ski instructor, O’Brien is coming into her first full year in the role of director, and she feels right at home.

“My dad started taking me skiing when I was two,” she recalled with a laugh. Through the winding landscape of Gilman, Vermont’s backwoods, he would ski, with toddler-O’Brien in tow in their trusty toboggan. “Skiing is a way to keep his spirit alive.”

O’Brien’s love for the winter and the outdoors started when she
was little, and she would accompany her father
on ski outings and toboggan rides through the snow.

However, it wasn’t just her father who motivated her love for the sport; O’Brien’s mother made certain her children would thrive in and ultimately love and welcome the winter season. At the time of this interview, O’Brien’s mother had just passed away, which O’Brien interpreted as a message of hope that her mother was still with her, a snow angel watching from above.

“I know that the universe has a way of making things happen at just the right time,” she said. “My beautiful mom…instilled my love of all things winter and had me outside on cross country skis just about every day as a child.”

Both of her parents dedicated countless hours to volunteering at the local ski tow and skating rink in town, which further cemented her love for community involvement and skiing. “My love of sharing the passion and fostering opportunities for youth in the community to love being outdoors and active – especially in the winter – came from their dedication, commitment, and passion,” she said.

At age 14, O’Brien’s parents encouraged her to start ski instruction on her own at Bretton Woods, and she spent her teen years teaching young children the art of the slopes. Through this experience, O’Brien was further inspired to venture into all types of skiing, including backcountry, snowboarding, cross country, downhill, and Acroski, also known as ballet skiing. “I was never very good at that one,” she admitted with a laugh.

This dedication to trying new experiences propelled O’Brien to pursue educational heights as well, obtaining a BS in Human Services with a concentration in child and adolescent psychology, and a master’s in Business Administration. Through all of this, skiing remained an aspirational aspect of her life, eventually leading her to meet her husband, Sean O’Brien.

“We met as ski instructors, with a group of ten kids at Smuggler’s [Notch],” O’Brien said. She admitted that in that first week together, she knew Sean was trying to impress her, but it worked so well that others noticed their developing connection. “I had to leave early one week because my dad was sick,” she explained, “so I had to leave on Thursday, and that following Friday, one of the parents came to Sean and asked, ‘Where’s your wife?’”

24 years later, the couple is going strong, sharing their passion for both volunteering and skiing. For years, they have volunteered together at both the Ottauquechee Elementary School Friday ski program and the Hartford middle and high school ski and snowboard varsity teams.

These interests don’t end at their generation, though; both of their sons are active in the local community as well. “Giving back to our community and sharing this passion is a family tradition,” O’Brien said. “Both of our children, Ian and Cavan, teach at Quechee Ski and Sports School and volunteer for the Ottauquechee School program on Fridays as well.”

O’Brien isn’t alone in this cyclical tradition of family involvement with skiing over generations. At Quechee Club, there are various family members who have experienced Ski Quechee programs and then promptly proceeded to become instructors themselves. This year alone, 22 people who had attended the ski school as teenagers applied to help out as instructors. In total, there are 75 instructors who work under O’Brien’s guidance.

“I love the culture; it has such a family community that not only our instructors feel like family, but our students and their families do too.” she shared. “There are always new faces, always smiling. In addition to our very dedicated group of core employees, we also employ college students and high school kids.”

Nancy O’Brien

Learning from these youthful instructors is what keeps O’Brien’s mind fresh and ready for the new winter seasons that approach. “I’m always open to new things, to learn more from students and instructors than I do through books or videos; I love listening to everyone’s ideas, watching my students and how they learn and absorb,” she said. “It’s such a great opportunity to be around kids.”

Nancy included that being outside with her own children has helped her in her personal life as a parent. “I have a better mindset and feel better,” she said. “We’re not stuck at home, and it doesn’t even matter if it’s exercise or not; just being outside is beneficial.”

As the days get shorter and the light departs earlier and earlier, winter can be a difficult season to endure. O’Brien said one of the best ways to make the most of winter is to get out of the house and get some sunshine while you can. “It’s not just skiing that I love,” she said. “It’s not the gliding, not the way it works, but the whole experience, being outside in the winter when others are hibernating: I love being outdoors and I love life in the winter.”

“Skiing is such a metaphor for life,” she added. Similar to the difficulties presented in life, O’Brien believes that sometimes you just have to go out and face discomfort head on. “You kind of have to psych yourself up and go tackle the elements; you have to gear up, put everything on, and go out. But once you get out there, the joy is just incredible.”