A MENTOR, A FRIEND, AN INSPIRATION, SUSAN MOL!

It is my pleasure to share one of my favorite people with you for this Ambassador spotlight. I met Susan Mol on my first day of ski patrol training in Crested Butte, CO. She was sitting in the back and just looked like a badass. I'm not sure what exactly it was that drew me to her but I knew I wanted to be her friend. There are not many women on Patrol so it's wise to make friends. She has become one of the best. I admire her honesty and love of adventure, and her stubborn determination is a beautiful strength that has inspired me to set goals and achieve them. She showed me through her actions that I could do anything. My heart warms thinking of the long car rides with me driving and her working on her laptop (she owns her own window washing business), ski decents, ski patrol training, bike rides, rafting trips and dog walks we've had over the years.

 

1st photo -Susan and her pup Bodhi, in Crested Butte, CO

 

2nd photo -Susan riding Upper loop, Crested Butte, CO.

What is your name and home:

Susan Mol

I grew up in PA and moved to Seattle, WA when I first left the nest.  In search of steeper terrain to snowboard I found Crested Butte, CO.  Now I spend my summers in CB and my winters in Idaho.

What's a memorable story of you and Alix?

When we mountain biked the Whole Enchilada in Moab, NM. I was so scared for the last technical, rowdy rock section and mostly nervous for Alix because I was certainly walking that section.  I had just "momed" Alix, aka forced her to eat a snickers bar because she was bonking, meaning I could tell she had blood sugar. I turned to her at the top and asked her, "you think you've got this?" Like a bratty teenager she responded, "I guess we'll find out, won't we?" and then she turned away from me and slayed the line without hesitation. I was so impressed and so proud.  Boy did she show me!

3rd photo -Alix in front, Susan guiding the boat in the back. Grand Canyon, 2015 

What are your hobbies and sports?

Skiing, snowboarding, cross country skiing, mountain biking, rafting, and I’m just getting into motorcycles.  I’d like to adventure moto, where you strap all your camping gear to your moto and explore dirt roads and trails.  I like to tinker and fix stuff too.  Hoping to get back into backpacking this August when my business, Clear View Window Washing, slows down.  I traded my cheating boyfriend in for a puppy last fall and he’s my everything right now.  His name is Bodhi and he’s uber athletic so I’ve got to treasure this time with him.  I want to take him on all kinds of adventures...maybe even get him a little moto helmet and doggles and hit the road!

4th photo - Susan in front of a typical Crested Butte fence of old skis.

If you could change one thing about the world for the better, what would it be?

I think it would be really great if we could see past people's exteriors and see their true nature and emotional being with x-ray vision in order to be more understanding of others.  Everyone deserves compassion and patience.  I’d also love it if everyone could be a little more honest on social media.  It’s not all rainbows and butterflies out there and I think young people are jaded by their own friends.  

Tell me about a time you've struggled and what you learned from it?

Honestly, I’m not so sure I’ve even learned from this one, but I stalled on moving to Wyoming to spend time with my brother and now he’s dead.  Contrary to popular belief it doesn’t always “work out”.  I've learned this the hard way. I’ve lost so many loved ones in the last 20 years and it’s shaped who I am now.  It's hard to know how and when to show up.  I really struggle with cliches and cringe when someone feeds me one. Sometimes, it’s just too late and you’ve missed out.  The lesson I’m learning is that when it’s time to hustle you gotta hustle.

What would your ideal day look like?

I would wake up early, meditate for 20 minutes, drink tea, eat breakfast and hike a new 13,000’ mountain with my doggo. We wouldn’t have to worry about time or storms and summit with confidence! Afterwards we would hang with loved humans and more doggos and share a meal ending by a campfire.  Finally, Bodhi and I would fall asleep outside by the river and he would snuggle me and keep me warm.

5th photo -Susan about to drop into Crested Butte's extreme terrain, Teocalli Bowl.

Tell me about a success and what you learned from it?

My snowboarding career and winning the 2009 Freeride World Tour Championship in Verbier, Switzerland. I learned that traveling the world is awesome and is one of my passions.

How were you introduced to ABD?

Alix made me the brass Fan Coral Cuff, which was my favorite piece for a long time. I didn’t wear a lot of jewelry and she knew I needed a little fashionista help. This was pre-business and I’m still so proud of that piece from back in the day.

How do you relate to your ABD jewelry?

Basically, because I am so disinterested in putting effort into my look and they are easy and I can sleep in them and I don’t have to put any thought into it, they just look good. I don’t like post earrings because they stab my neck everytime I put on a sports helmet. Earrings are one extra pizazz. They come along with me all the time and they are made by my best friend so it’s kinda like she’s with me too.

6th photo -Alix and Susan about to raft the Tuolumme River at high water in CA.

In closing, I'd like to share this photo of Susan and I because of the joy, freedom and excitement that was felt in that time in our lives. I believe we are all searching for freedom, acceptance and love. I have seen this truly in Susan's journey over the years. I am incredibly grateful to call her my friend. I share these because I believe success is about the relationships we nurture and the lives we enhance. Susan has added so much to my life that I wanted to share that with all of you.

 

Thank you for reading.

Love,

Alix

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