OLYMPIC VALLEY, Calif. — A new grassroots initiative is gaining traction in Olympic Valley, aiming to preserve the region’s legacy while charting a sustainable, community-driven path forward.

“Olympic Valley has always been a place of dreams and determination. Project Olympic channels that spirit to create a future that serves everyone who loves and depends on this valley,” Cindy Gustafson, District 5 Supervisor, said. 

Co-founded by Olympic skier Travis Ganong and local ski coach and developer Adam Fischer, Project Olympic is focused on four central pillars—community, education, athletics, and innovation. The group has launched a $200,000 capital campaign to support its first round of community design charrettes, a collaborative planning process that invites residents and stakeholders to shape the valley’s future.

“We want people to really feel a part of this,” said Fischer, who has helped lead the effort since its inception in late summer 2024. “These efforts are by the community, for the community.”

Project Olympic has raised over $42,250 to date, with a fundraising deadline of July 31. Much of the early support has come from local donors, reflecting what Fischer described as the strong sense of community that the project seeks to build upon.

The idea was sparked during last year’s World Cup ski races, when a visiting athlete asked Fischer where the local gym was. “We’re putting on this great show,” Fischer said, “but we’ve got this small gym that we’ve outgrown. How do we match what we’re putting on at the mountain with what exists in the valley?”

That question became more urgent when two centrally located parcels of land near the Olympic Valley post office—totaling 5.22 acres—went up for sale. The parcels, among the last remaining large sites near the base of the mountain not owned by resort operator Alterra, are now under contract by the Project Olympic team.

“There is a great opportunity to build a bridge between the Olympic Valley community, the visitors, and local businesses. Establishing a network of enterprise, health and wellness, housing, and community space will improve the local culture and quality of life for locals while adding significant value to the experience that tourists experience when they come to the valley.  It’s a win-win that will benefit the next generation of athletes and business professionals that are coming up,” Tristan Queen, CEO and co-founder of Arcade Belts, and one the current tenants on the property, said. 

Fischer happened to run into Ganong during a workout class in Tahoe City and pitched the idea. “He’s like, I love this. How can I help? And I was like, you wanna co-lead it with me?” Fischer said. Ganong, who grew up and trained in the valley, signed on.

“Growing up in Tahoe, we had an amazing mountain to train on, but off the hill we had no gym or educational facility to foster the other parts of being a student-athlete,” Ganong said. “My vision is to complement the world-class mountain with a community-owned and operated development that addresses multiple needs—training, education, housing and connection.”

To generate ideas and gather input, Project Olympic hosted its first fireside chat at PlumpJack Inn in February, drawing more than 90 attendees.

Fischer said the design charrettes will give locals hands-on opportunities to shape what gets built—from architectural style to land use priorities. Participants will use inspiration boards and even tracing paper to sketch ideas. The process, he said, helps ensure that the final plans reflect the values of the people who live and work in Olympic Valley.

Project Olympic also plans to hire a nonprofit advisor to manage a long-term capital campaign aimed at securing the land and funding construction. The group hopes to draw on support from grantmakers, educational institutions, and mission-aligned brands.

Fischer said the initiative was inspired in part by the Vail Valley Foundation, which recently completed a $72 million capital campaign for arts, athletics, education, and community support services. “From protecting the post office and local businesses to creating a high-performance center and partnering with public education, this model could inspire mountain towns across the West,” Fischer said.

Looking further ahead, Project Olympic hopes to generate long-term community benefit by creating self-sustaining revenue—such as from housing rents or business leases—that can be reinvested into the foundation.

“The goal is to actually take the revenue and create a positive net cash flow that can fund the foundation long-term,” Fischer said. “It becomes a community endowment. So this isn’t just a one-and-done project. It’s a seed for future growth.”

While Project Olympic is tailored to the unique culture and needs of Olympic Valley, Fischer believes the model could be replicated in other mountain towns.

“How do we continue to make these special places even more special and more livable?” he said.

To learn more, donate, or get involved, visit projectolympic.com or follow the team on Instagram at @olympicvalleyfoundation.

“This isn’t just about athletes. It’s about teachers, ski patrollers, and families. This project is about making Olympic Valley livable—permanently. And if we do it right, it can be a model for every ski town in the country,” Ganong said.