OUR ALUMNI

Honoring the athletes who continue to inspire long after the Games are over.

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ONCE A NEXT LAP ATHLETE, ALWAYS PART OF THE FAMILY

The Next Lap Foundation alumni represent what it truly means to live with purpose beyond the podium.

These Olympic and Paralympic athletes have carried the same resilience, leadership, and drive that defined their athletic careers into the next chapter of their lives. Whether they’re mentoring future athletes, building businesses, or giving back to their communities, their stories remind us that excellence doesn’t stop when competition ends.

Every alum is part of a growing network of champions who continue to uplift others and embody the Foundation’s mission of perseverance and possibility.

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Ashley Caldwell

Sport: Freestyle Skiing, Standing

Ashley Caldwell is an Olympic gold medalist, leading teammates to gold in team aerials in Beijing in 2022. In her career, she has four World Championship medals, including two gold. In 2017, she won gold, becoming the first woman to land a quadruple-twisting triple backflip.

With an undergraduate degree and two master’s degrees, she’s working in real estate private equity while making her home in Park City, UT. During her career, Ashley has competed in four Olympic Games, won 2 World Championships individually and as a team, a World Cup Overall Championship, 3 World Championship medals, 6 World Cup wins and 19 World Cup podiums, and 5 U.S. National Championships.

Aly Dudek

Sport: Short Track Speed Skating

Aly Dudek represented Team USA at both the Vancouver and Sochi Winter Olympic Games, earning an Olympic Bronze medal in the 3000-meter relay. After her athletic career, Aly pursued her love for adventure travel, working with Backroads, an elite active travel company. She curated and led global biking and hiking excursions, refining her ability to understand client needs and create exceptional experiences.

Now living in Park City, UT, with her husband and two dogs, Aly channels her expertise into luxury real estate and development with Christie’s International Real Estate and ParkCityRealEstate.com. She also launched her own business specializing in second-home management and remodeling, helping clients extend their mountain lifestyle beyond the transaction.

Stephen Garbett

Sport: Skeleton Racing

Stephen Garbett is a world-class athlete who spent over a decade competing at the highest levels of international sport. As a Team USA skeleton athlete, he has earned podium finishes across North America, Europe, and Asia. His relentless drive, elite training, and strategic mindset propelled him to success in one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. Beyond his accomplishments on the ice, Stephen’s dedication to excellence extends beyond the world of sports.

Today, he works closely with family offices and private consulting, leveraging his experience in leadership, strategic partnerships, and business development to drive success in competitive industries.

Ashleigh Johnson

Sport: Women's Water Polo Goalkeeper

Ashleigh Johnson is a 3x Olympian, a 2x Olympic gold medalist, and a global ambassador for the sport. As the first Black woman to represent Team USA in water polo, she has redefined what’s possible in the pool, inspiring the next generation of athletes. A dominant force in goal, Ashleigh helped lead Team USA to back-to-back Olympic gold medals, cementing her legacy as one of the greatest goalkeepers in the sport’s history.

Beyond the pool, Ashleigh is passionate about mentorship, public speaking, and expanding opportunities for women in sports. She has collaborated with brands like Lacoste and Ralph Lauren, using her platform to champion diversity, resilience, and excellence. While continuing her athletic career, she is also exploring opportunities in entrepreneurship, public speaking, and brand partnerships, with a keen interest in launching her own skincare line. A dynamic and engaging storyteller, Ashleigh shares her journey of grit, leadership, and perseverance with audiences worldwide, inspiring others to break barriers and pursue excellence on their own terms.

Sydney Peterson

Sport: Nordic Skiing, Standing

Sydney Peterson is a Gold, Silver, and Bronze Paralympic medalist and a neuroscience PhD student. She began skiing at the age of five, qualifying for Junior Nationals and Canadian Nationals, and in 2020, she won the US Ski Team Dave Quinn Award. At 13, Sydney began experiencing pain and paralysis in her left arm due to dystonia, a neurological movement disorder. By 2021, she had lost function in her left side but remained determined to continue skiing. She later competed at the Beijing Paralympics, securing gold in the mixed relay, silver in the long-distance classic, and bronze in the skate sprint.

Following this, she has earned three more World Championship podiums and started competing in biathlon. She hopes to continue improving upon her results from past seasons, and carry her momentum through Milano Cortina 2026

Courtney Ryan

Sport: Wheelchair Basketball

Courtney Ryan is a two-time Paralympic medalist in the sport of Wheelchair Basketball. As an NCAA Division II soccer athlete at Metro State in Denver, she was slide tackled in a game, causing nerves to detach from her spinal column and leading to her paralysis. After her paralysis, Courtney was introduced to the Challenged Athletes Foundation during her rehabilitation process, and her love of wheelchair basketball began.

Courtney has been a fixture on the U.S. WNT since 2019, and during this time earned Paralympic Silver & Bronze, World Championship Bronze and Para Pan Am Games Gold & Silver. She is committed to the promotion and inclusion of women in adaptive athletes as an athlete, role model and leader in wheelchair basketball.

Justin Schoenfield

Sport: Freestyle Skiing Aerials

2022 Olympic champion, Justin Schoenefeld learned how to ski literally in his backyard as his dad was a part of the ski patrol in his hometown. When Justin turned 16, he was recruited out of his Indiana course by a scout from U.S. Ski & Snowboard to come to Lake Placid and join the U.S. Developmental Team for Aerials in 2015.

While competing with the U.S. National Team, Justin began his educational journey to become a professional pilot. He currently holds his pilot’s license and can fly single engine fixed wing planes. From the slopes of Indiana to his 7th season with Team USA, Justin has been able to reach the World Cup podium four times and in his Winter Olympic debut, he and his team brought home the inaugural gold in the Mixed Team Aerials event and finished 5th in the men’s individual competition.

Ashley Sessa

Sport: Women's Field Hockey

Ashley Sessa is a 2-Time NCAA Champion and Paris Team USA Olympian in Field Hockey. She is also a Pan American Games Silver Medalist in 2023. Following her first Olympic Games in Paris, Ashley was featured on ESPN SportsCenter Top 10 with a highlight goal early in the season, helped Northwestern complete an undefeated regular season, and led the B1G Ten Conference in goals, assists, and points. Northwestern would go on to bring the title home over St. Joseph’s University.

In her first year at Northwestern, Ashley set the all-time single season scoring record, was recognized as a First-Team All American, named to the NCAA Tournament Team, B1G Ten Conference All-Tournament Team, B1G Ten Conference First-Team, and was the B1G Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Year. Ashley is on the path for graduation at Northwestern in June of 2027 in Learning Organizational Change.

Maggie Steffens

Sport: Women's Water Polo

Maggie Steffens is a four-time Olympian in the sport of Water Polo for Team USA. During her legendary career, she has won 3 Olympic Gold medals, 5 World Championships, 3 Gold medals at the Pan American Games and is the all-time leading scorer at the Olympic Games, World Championships and the Pan American Games. She attended Stanford University, winning 3 NCAA Championships and being named the NCAA Tournament MVP twice, and being named 4x First Team All-American.

Out of the pool, Maggie is a co-founder & co-owner of a sports technology data company called 6-8 Sports with fellow Stanford & Team USA alum, Tony Azevedo who wore cap #8. Maggie wears cap #6, thus how the name came together. 6-8 Sports is a youth athlete performance analytics company using a data-driven approach to evaluating athlete strengths & weaknesses as they develop over time.

Katie Uhlaender

Sport: Skeleton Racing

One of the most accomplished skeleton racers in American history, 5x Olympian (‘06, ‘10, ‘14, ‘18, ‘22) Katie Uhlaender made history at the 2022 Olympics by becoming the first woman in the sport of skeleton of any nation to compete in five Olympic Games. Her career spans two decades, experiencing adversity, heartbreak, and unprecedented success.

Uhlaender is currently training for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics, looking to become the first woman ever to compete for Team USA in six Winter Olympic Games and bookend her impressive career in the same host country as her Olympic debut 20 years prior (Torino ‘06).

YOUR SUPPORT BUILDS LEGACIES

Every athlete we help today becomes a part of the Next Lap Foundation’s legacy tomorrow.

By donating or sponsoring, you’re not just funding competition—you’re fueling lifelong impact.