Meet the Team

SWSC’s Coaching Team is devoted to supporting our athletes as they advance in their selected sport.

All of our SWSC team, board members and volunteers are required to have USSA membership, which provides a background check and completion of Safesport.

Safesport Resources  Available Here.

Leigh Sheldrake,

Alpine Director

Leigh raced up to the NorAm level and has coached all levels of ski racing, from Youth Ski League up to World Championship-level athletes.

Competing in the Waterski World Cup he gained valuable knowledge in training/recovery and mental aspects of the sport.


Leigh is Level 1 certified with US Ski and Snowboard;  holds  CPR/first aid;  SafeSport;  
Race Referee qualifications, and was the Chief of Course for the 1996 Breckenridge World Cup.

Sasha Ellis,

Buddy Werner Director

Sasha grew up skiing at Sunlight with her dad. Now she has spread the joy of skiing to her own family and by coaching Buddy Werner!

She is also a local early childhood educator, avid river runner and enjoys camping with her husband and kids.

Karsyn Everett,

All Mountain

Karsyn has been skiing since she moved to the Roaring Fork Valley when she was seven years old. She skied with AVSC for three years where she competed in Moguls, Aerials, and Big Air. Karsyn competed in the 2013 junior nationals in both Aerials and Big Air before retiring from competitive skiing to ski for fun. Her hobbies now include most anything to do with the outdoors whether that be hiking, skiing, fly-fishing, or backpacking, she loves to play in the mountains!

Jason Turner,

Skimo Coach

Jason has a passion for endurance sports, moving fast and light in the mountains. He has been involved with the Sunlight Ski Team since 2010 in multiple capacities: coach, board member, and previously board president.

In 2020, Jason worked with the Sunlight Ski Team to establish the Sunlight Mountaineering Team. Jason has been competing in Ski Mountaineering races for a decade and is excited to share his knowledge of the sport with young athletes.

Certified USA Ski and Snowboard Level 1 Competition Official and a U.S. Ski Mountaineering Association (USA Skimo) National Referee