Jessie Diggins Will Talk To Congress On 'Warming Winters'

Afton, Minnesota native and Olympic gold medal skier Jessie Diggins fell in love with the snow at a young age. She now worries if future kids will have the same opportunity.

That's why the Stillwater High School graduate is headed to the nation's capital to talk with lawmakers about climate change.

"Tomorrow, I’m headed to Washington DC with Protect Our Winters to talk with Congress about our warming winters," Diggins wrote on Facebook Tuesday.

"If you don’t speak up for the things that you care about, you may lose them. So I’m speaking up for policy that ensures the future of snowy winters, so that future generations have the chance - and the choice - to enjoy snow sports the way we have. After all, the future of the Winter Games depends on a stable climate! We only get one World. Let’s take care of it."

Before she could walk, Diggins' parents put her in a baby carrier so she could join them on their weekend ski trips in Minnesota. Even as she grew into her toddler years, her parents continued this tradition.

"Mush!" she would yell in her dad's ear. "Go super speed!"

But now Diggins worries if future generations of kids will miss that opportunity. She's seen the harmful impact of global warming on her sport; it's becoming hard to find trails to ski on and even harder to find trails with real snow.

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Diggins said people are losing their jobs because of shortening winters and ski seasons.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources confirms temperatures are rising in Minnesota, especially in the winter. "Climate changes are impacting Minnesota's wildlife, plants, waters, historic resources, infrastructure, and available outdoor recreation activities," the agency reports.

Diggins is among a growing number of winter athletes becoming advocates for climate action.

"Growing up, I didn't play video games. I didn't watch TV. I went and played in the snow," Diggins told the New York Times. "I don't want my kids to grow up in a world where they've never experienced snow because we weren't responsible enough."

Without enough real snow, courses are drastically increasing the use of man-made snow for trails, which can have dangerous consequences for skiers.

Diggins says real snow is softer; man-made snow gets icy. "One of my teammates broke his leg on a corner of a course where it never should have been as fast as it was," she told the Times.

Photo: Gold medalist Jessica Diggins of the United States and bronze medalists Marit Bjoergen and Maiken Caspersen Falla of Norway celebrate during the medal ceremony for Cross-Country Skiing - Ladies' Team Sprint Free on day 13 of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Medal Plaza on February 22, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)