Jake Cohn

Jake Cohn has battled serious asthma from infancy, including lengthy stays in hospitals and frequent emergency room visits. Cohn’s condition led doctors to predict that he would never have a “normal” life, and Cohn agrees, his life as a professional freeskier is not normal. But, this is probably not what his doctors had in mind.

Getting to this level wasn’t easy. A near death experience at birth and severely impaired lung function resulted in Cohn having to be on oxygen for much of his childhood and he spent numerous birthdays in the hospital.

Asthma is on the rise and in cases like Cohn’s if not treated correctly can end up in death. With media attention on cancer, you don’t often hear about asthma or the success stories like Cohn's. As with any life-threatening disease, it is important to communicate how symptoms can be controlled and how people can still live normal lives.

Cohn learned to deal with his asthma and has gone on to become a pro skier who now travels the world.

As a skier, you train and perform at high altitudes. As we know the higher you go the thinner the air becomes and the harder it is to breathe. Imagine performing at a professional level at high altitudes and with Asthma (a condition that makes your airways constricted). Now imagine you have only 35% of your total lung function like Cohn has today. It's an accomplishment he has found a way to succeed in skiing, something that his doctors said was not possible for someone with his condition.

In addition to fighting the odds to succeed at the highest level in the sport, Cohn has also started two businesses: SnowLocals / AdventureLocals -a hybrid travel and advertising agency, and the popular Locals Pro Sale -a North American ski and snowboard sale in 20 locations across two countries.

Cohn’s story is compelling and his energy is contagious.