Bea Kim Speaks at Uninvited Nations on Behalf of Protect Our Winters

Only 17 years old, Bea is quickly rising through the halfpipe ranks. The Mammoth local just wrapped her first full season competing on the World Cup circuit and earned her first main event podium when she took second at the Laax Open in January.

Her talent on her snowboard is mirrored by her passion as a climate advocate; she has been a POW ambassador for a few years already.

You can watch the full meeting, but if you'd like to watch Bea and Sasha speak on behalf of POW, they are introduced at 42:02 and you can watch Bea's speech beginning at 43:35.

"I've gone around the world to Europe and New Zealand, training and competing, and I've seen one common theme throughout," states Bea to the assembly. "The world is changing. The glaciers are melting that we are actually riding on. Our winters are starting later. The weather patterns are becoming more erratic, and each year we wonder if there will even be enough snow for us to compete and do what we love."

It was through seeing the shift in winter that Bea wanted to get involved and joined Protect Our Winters. "I realized I could use my platform as an athlete," she says, explaining that at her first POW Summit, she was only 15 and unsure if she would have anything to contribute to the conversation and if she should be there. Through meeting and listening to the athletes, scientists, and creatives collected at the POW Summit, she realized that she could speak out to protect the planet, too.

Bea posted on her Instagram, "What a day…Thank you @unitednations for the opportunity to tell my story and discuss why we need to take climate action now at the UN’s International Day of Sport for Development and Peace. So lucky to speak alongside @sashadigiulian to represent @protectourwinters."

Sports have monumental power to affect change and we appreciate Bea and all of the POW athletes who are advocating for protecting the places we love to spend time in outside.