Ellery Davidson
My Stories
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Biography
Ellery Davidson is a journalism student at the University of Utah, set to graduate in April 2025. Currently a fourth-year member of the Utah Cheer Team and an active participant in the Delta Beta Gamma chapter, she balances academic rigor with leadership and teamwork. Her experience spans roles as a social media specialist and sports broadcaster, equipping her with skills in content creation, communication and audience engagement. With a passion for sports, business and marketing, she is actively pursuing opportunities in sales, business strategy and sports marketing. She thrives on collaboration, embracing new experiences and creating impactful results in everything she does.
Reporter's Notebook
Through my interview process for my story on women's ski jumping, I was surprised at the very prominent pay gap that still exists within certain Olympic sports. Some of the most critical insights to understand about my story is that the fight for equal opportunity between the men and women ski jumping teams is far from over. Along with that, it is important to recognize that women did not start ski jumping until much later. It took trailblazing women like Lindsey Van to build the sport into what it is and fight for equality on all ends. I found through the reporting that there was a lot of pushback and judgment towards the women who were simply fighting to be treated equally. This took a toll on their mental health, too, as they had to act as both political figures and professional athletes.
In order to be prepared for the Olympics, women ski jumpers train upwards to two-three times per day while also maintaining media responsibilities. The travel that comes with this sport is taxing and can make it extremely difficult to find and keep good coaches. Many ski jumping competitions take place all over the world and require the athletes to be flexible and willing to compete at various locations. Ski jumping, one of the most electrifying yet overlooked Winter Olympic sports, first appeared in the Olympic Games in 1924 in Chamonix, France. Yet women had to wait 90 years until the 2014 Sochi Games for their Olympic debut.
Instagram and social media were huge tools for the women fighting for equal pay in women's ski jumping. Ski jumper Nina Lussi used social media as a tool to create a go fund me and raise enough money to equal out the winning pay of a men’s and women’s competitions. I think it could be incredible to spotlight more of these incredible women on popular sporting podcasts, in order to build awareness around these niche sports. Lindsey Van described ski jumping as: “You're going straight, inner position, 55-60 miles an hour, skis as a wing, parallel with your skis.”
This to me would capture very well on an Instagram reels or TikTok video, because you look like you're flying. My interviews were amazing, as these women were more than happy to share their stories and further provide insight on the nuances of this incredible sport. One of the most memorable parts of my reporting included speaking with Lindsey Van about her journey from the beginning of ski jumping, to all of the progress that has been made thus far.
It is inspiring to hear these women's stories and the incredible resilience they have had. The future of women's ski jumping is bright, with the first ever equal prize pay initiative in Lake Placid, and the support of the CEO of U.S. Ski and Snowboard Sophie Goldschimt. Ski jumping is on its way to its well deserved recognition and financial compensation.