The SCARPA Athlete Mentorship Initiative was created to connect and engage the SCARPA Athlete team with accomplished athletes from historically marginalized communities, who are aspiring to take their sport or career to the next level. For the past few months, we have been getting to know the 31 accomplished athletes who were chosen to be a part of this program, and are awestruck by what they have already accomplished and where they are setting their sights next. We will be putting the spotlight on one of these mentees each week, so you can learn more about this incredible group of people and also be inspired by their awesomeness!

Our first spotlight shines on Michael Russell, aka “Tele-Mike”! Mike first won us over by listing “World Peace” as a short term goal on his application …and we have no doubt, if there’s anyone who can achieve that, it’s him!

Mike grew up in the farmlands of Delaware, as an athletic kid who was introduced to the Outdoors through Boy Scouts. This exposure to the outdoors at a young age, eventually led him to move to Colorado to pursue big dreams of big mountain skiing. And that he did! Mike has Heli-Tele Skied in Alaska, backcountry skied in France, Argentina, and Japan, and aided in the rescue of three avalanche victims, thanks to his extensive safety education.

Not only does Mike pursue ski goals for himself, he gives back to the community by organizing and leading backcountry adventures for the National Brotherhood of Skiers. Tele Mike mentors and guides a group of 30 African American backcountry skiers and riders from the National Brotherhood of Skiers who have all been on countless snowmobile and human powered, skiing and riding adventures to major skiing destinations all over the world. Through his work with this organization, Mike continues to push and progress the BIPOC community in mountain sports by showing his culture that open spaces are not to be feared, but are where you can find peace and improve your mental health.

Mike’s future goals include continuing to create entertaining and inspiring films of his adventures that showcase athletes from all communities, backcountry ski on all 7 continents, tick off some of the 50 Classic Ski Descents of North America, and drive an aero-van from Alaska to Ushuaia, Argentina to ski, surf, and rock climb, all while giving back to the community by inspiring and leading BIPOC athletes to the mountains to find balance in their lives…We can’t forget he will also keep sharing his knowledge and experience with his most important backcountry partner, his son Jaden.

To learn more about Mike, check out his mentee profile at the link below:
https://www.scarpa.com/community/athletes/mike-russell

Here Just a Few Of Mike’s Adventures:
Lumpy Ridge:
https://vimeo.com/395827392/4489393b93

Tele Heli Skiing Alaska:
https://vimeo.com/516090629/a72873871d

Freedom Land:
https://vimeo.com/430556554/9708078b8e

Keep Loving the People:
https://vimeo.com/417072442/e150445532