Meet an Athlete: Drew Petersen

PRO SKIER & FILMMAKER

Drew enjoying a solo moment of reflection and rocking his signature "I Give a F*** About Mental Health" hat before presenting his film "Feel It All" to a crowd in his hometown at the Breckenridge Film Festival.

Photo: Elaine Collins

Home Base / Silverthorne, Colorado

Activities / Skiing, Backcountry Skiing, Trail Running, Nordic Skiing, Cheering for the Avalanche and Rockies.

Why Drew:

Drew Petersen doesn’t remember his first day on skis, it was kind of just always there. But the story goes that an 18-month-old Drew, strapped into a backpack on his father’s shoulders, yelled “Me ski, me ski,” and kicked his pop in the ribs as he watched his older brother wiggling turns out front on a leash.

“That’s when my dad decided my older brother was good enough to ski off the leash and I got on skis,” Drew says.

Drew credits his fast and fluid, straight-down-the-fall-line ski style from years of following (and trying to keep up with) his dad and his brother on their hometown slopes in Summit County, Colorado. In 2010, at age 15, Drew entered a big mountain freeride competition in Crested Butte, Colorado, and placed second. The following month, he won a similar competition in Taos, New Mexico. “I won $200 in CB and $1,000 in Taos,” he says. “That’s a fortune for a 15-year-old and seemed like enough to chase a professional career.”

The success motivated Drew to live the skier’s dream through his twenties. Freeride competitions, brand sponsorships, world travel, magazine features, cover photos, and segments in ski films followed. In 2018, Drew signed a contract with Salomon’s global team, which he says felt like his big break.

But Drew’s biggest impact has been in mental health advocacy. In 2022, Drew produced and directed, Ups and Downs, a film chronicling his personal journey with PTSD, bipolar disorder, brain injuries, and suicidal ideation. Since its premiere, he has toured the U.S. screening the film, giving talks, and facilitating much needed conversations in mental health at-risk communities. Following a successful crowdsourced fundraising campaign in 2024, Drew created Feel It All, the highly anticipated spiritual sequel to Ups and Downs.

Through his signature vulnerability, humor, and affability, Drew continues his mission to crush the mental health stigma in the outdoor community and sees that as the focus of his career. “I think most people know me for my mental health advocacy,” he says. “I’m really proud of that. I’d way rather be known for that than anything I do on skis.”

Drew and Garry Schlag topping out on a peak in the Sawatch Range of Colorado while filming for Feel It All. Photo: Jesse Levine

From giving him his first Alta Ski Area athlete pass to partnering in the creation and evolution of the Quality Ski Time Film Tour, I have had the privilege of knowing and working with Drew for 12-years. What sets Drew apart is that his approach to being an athlete and a professional are exactly the same. It starts from a place of curiosity and passion before transitioning into professionalism and expertise in whatever he is pursuing. In our weird little world of skiing, where athletes and brands are typically only connected by the final product, I can think of no higher praise than to say that I would hire Drew to work on my team just as fast as I would sign him again to be on my athlete roster.

Joe Johnson Alpine Marketing Manager, Salomon North America

Specialized Skills:

Through his film work, tours, and speaking engagements, Drew has shown the power that honestly talking about mental health can have. It’s no accident that he focuses many of his events in mountain towns across the West, areas that have the highest suicide rates in the country. “I’m direct and I pull no punches,” he says.

What's Next:

Drew is trying to focus an equal amount of energy and effort between his storytelling, athletic pursuits, and his advocacy work. He is currently touring his latest film, Feel It All, across the country, pairing each stop with a keynote dedicated to mental health. “I want to pull more people in and offer a space for them to tell their stories of mental health. I want to grow that conversation.”