9TH RALLY EDITION: OCTOBER 10 – 19, 2024

#112

On Approach

Not everyone can say spending time with their sister-in-law is a good time. (I see those head nods out there, you know who you are). We’re very fortunately situated that we both have great respect and admiration for each other. Not only are we friends, we are a power duo, (move over Kendall and Kylie), that combine our strengths to put on the Living Legends of Aviation awards every year in Hollywood and Austria.

We have worked together to produce these live production, red carpet events for over a decade. Through this time in the trenches together we have gained an immense amount of confidence and trust in each other in high stress, tense, and upside down, bottom falling out situations. Neither of us knows the definition of quitting and come hell or high water, or motto is “make it happen.” To commemorate the exceptional amount of flaming hoops Stacey jumped through to pull off some last-minute miracles for the European Legends event, Sharon gifted Stacey a bracelet. The tiny silver beads, in dashes and dots, use Morse code to spell out “bad ass.” We’re both power houses in our own way and we recognize we’re better together and we use our unique skills to compliment the work of the other.

We’re also both Colorado girls that love to get outdoors and play. With the Rocky Mountains in our backyard, we’ve spent countless hours hitting the slopes, picking our lines as we carve through fresh powder. As a former competitive skier, Stacey knows our favorite mountain like the back of her hand. Sharon’s never put on a pair of skis because her love for skateboarding growing up naturally lent itself to picking up a snowboard first and she’s never looked back. It’s tradition to start and finish the day on the same run. The key is to stash a couple ciders in the snow in a tree well. On the last run, we’ll pick them up, have a drink slope side in the trees and reflect on another great day on the mountain. We’ve been hunting those “tree well” check points for years. Can’t wait to start hunting the real check points together!

Sponsored By:

Maddie Wright Foundation
Backcountry Aviation Adventures

Stacey Elsner

Driver

A jill of all trades comfortable in the most opposite of settings. I’m at home hosting a black-tie, red-carpet event in Hollywood (Living Legends of Aviation) or leading an off-grid outdoor survival experience under the Milky Way.

Occupation:

Entrepreneur/Event Producer AKA Ferret Herder/Backcountry Survival Instructor

Residence:

Centennial Colorado

Favorite Quote:

“Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” -Harriet Beecher Stowe

Fun Fact:

I am a former athlete that thrives in competitive, high stress, high performance situations. Skiing, Volleyball and Tennis were my major loves, but skiing still remains a passion. Wear and tear on my body has made it so that most competition is out of reach, but nothing can keep me from those glistening powder days carving fresh tracks in new snow. I have two boys (21 and 14) that I love more than life itself and an amazing husband that supports all my crazy, well at least most of it.

Why the Rebelle? Why now?

My husband actually found the Rebelle for me. He said I think I found a competition that was designed specifically for you. The Rally combines outdoor adventure, camping, off-roading, and navigation with meals from a Michelin Star-Chef. The only thing missing is aviation. Competition is in my blood, and I truly miss that aspect of my life. The opportunity to compete with amazing women, in a field outside my comfort zone, is a calling I couldn’t ignore.

Who, or what, inspires you most?

I’m inspired by Emily Harrington, one of the most successful and versatile professional climbers in the world. She leans into fear and discomfort and recognizes that difficult things, by definition, are not easy and progress is not always linear. She is such a powerful woman, and yet there’s this grace to her where it doesn’t feel forced. Emily has an amazing and talented husband, Adrian Ballinger, a mountaineer, and a pilot. As one half of this power-couple, she looks to those in her circle and finds a way to lift and elevate to the next level. Emily and Adrian don’t compete against each other, they work together to support shared and individual dreams. That’s the real lesson here; we’re all greater than the sum of our parts and she demonstrates that eloquently through the way she carriers herself.

Top three favorite podcasts / books / shows

Alone (TV Show)
The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho
Any book about apocalyptic survival (guilty pleasure)

Greatest adventure to date?

Learning to fly is an adventure in itself. I remember the first time in a cockpit with my dad. Being at altitude, seeing the horizon, the whirl of the engines, the color of the sky. The adrenaline of take-off and the land stretched out before you as the runway behind you grows smaller and smaller. If you’re flying West at sunset, you can chase the sun for the longest sunset you’ll ever see in your life. There’s nothing like being behind the controls of an aircraft, dipping the wings and feeling the plane tilt to get a better view of the scenery below. In the cockpit years ago with my dad sparked a hunger for more and it’s had me looking up at the sky ever since.

Prior Years Competed:
Awards Achieved:

Sharon Lips

Navigator

An aviation nut who craves adrenaline, new horizons, and cloudless night skies filled with the Milky Way and inky views. I pride myself on the circle of friends and family I’m surrounded by as I feel the relationships we make in life and what we do for others is the most valuable currency we have.

Occupation:

B2B Marketer, Event Producer, Volunteer and most importantly, “Mama” to my boys (2 & 4 yrs. old)

Residence:

Centennial Colorado

Favorite Quote:

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” Anais Nin

Fun Fact:

The love for the outdoors started early. At 10 years old I went to my first wilderness camp that taught me basic survival skills like building a lean-to shelter. Being born and raised in Colorado, I hiked my first “fourteener” – a mountain over 14,000’ above sea level, at 12 years old. Later in life, I was snowboarding at Copper Mountain, riding up the Super Bee, a ski lift that takes you up 2300’ vertical feet with runs over 1.5 miles long. I accepted the challenge of a race from a couple guys who happened to ride the lift with me. After beating them both to the bottom, one of them asked, “Don’t you get scared going that fast?” The look on their faces at the bottom was priceless.

Why the Rebelle? Why now?

Oddly, I’ve always had a love of maps. As a kid I had a map on my wall I wrote on and decorated with labels like “Kiwi Kingdom” next to New Zealand. When I heard about the opportunity to be a Navigator in the Rebelle, I believe my exact response was, “This is a no brainer- I’m in.” The idea of being able to spend 8 days challenging myself and competing as a team in a Rally got my adrenaline pumping. I want to deep dive into learning skills that are becoming a lost art. I want to get out under the glittering night sky and ogle horizons I’ve never seen before. I want to be washing sand out of my hair for days. Okay, maybe not so much the washing part, but you better believe I can’t wait to go play on some sand dunes. They say there’s no time like the present. I know so many females that feel the pressure of wearing so many different hats. How can I be a good partner to my spouse, good mother to my children, good leader for my company, good co-worker for my peers, good friend for my tribe. We often think of all these other people and roles over ourselves. So, I asked myself, when is the last time I did something for the first time? When is the last time I did something wholly for myself. The answer to all of the above came to me with Rebelle as the solution.

Who, or what, inspires you most?

I’m inspired by the incredible amount of resiliency I’ve seen where people have gone through these gut-wrenching personal tragedies, and yet they find a way carry-on. And it’s not just merely carrying on. It’s people with the best possible attitudes, that look at the world and despite their loss, they ask of themselves what they can do for others. For example, the founder of Maddie Wright Foundation, Julie Wright, tragically lost her daughter to Fentanyl poisoning. Maddie was far too young at 23 years old to be taken from this world. Prior to Maddie’s death, I knew nothing about Fentanyl or how it is tied to the opioid crisis we continue to hear more about. Today, Fentanyl poisoning is the #1 cause of death for those ages 18 to 45, killing nearly 300K people in the last three years. As a result of her loss, Julie started the Maddie Wright Foundation to open the conversation with the community, to lessen the stigma around this topic. Aimed at reducing harm through education and other programs, Julie has focused her time and energy on helping others and has done it with unimaginable grace, vulnerability, and heart. I remember it was December of 2020, and I was worried about how tough the holidays were going to be for Julie. It had only been three months since we laid Maddie to rest. I was blown away when Julie told me that she was choosing to come from a place of gratitude to focus on the last 23 Christmases she did have with Maddie instead of this first one she would spend without her. It really puts things in perspective and is a testament to how resilient the human spirit can be. I challenge you, if you consider yourself to be a lifelong learner, go to https://maddiewrightfoundation.org/ and learn something new. You just might save a life with your newfound knowledge.

Top three favorite podcasts / books / shows

I stream Slacker & Steve – Shout out to Alice 105.9 station in Denver. They are hys-ter-ical and the work they do for Children’s Hospital is next level stuff.
The Dark Tower book series by Stephen King or The Pillars of the Earth book by Ken Follett
Dateline – that true crime sucks me in every time. I’m Keith Morrison’s biggest fan. Y’all with me?!

Greatest adventure to date?

As someone who struggled to conceive, I can easily say motherhood has been my greatest adventure to date. There is nothing like reexploring the world through the eyes of a child as they experience things for the first time. I was fortunate enough to bring my sons (2 & 4 yrs old) out to the European Living Legends of Aviation awards in Austria in 2019 and again in 2022. One of my most cherished memories was set over a beautiful backdrop of Austrian peaks, shimmering lake waters with blue skies with contrails. Three generations of family gathered on a balcony overlooking St. Wolfgang as jets and vintage aircraft flew overhead. The Red Bull pilots, the Flying Bulls, out of Hangar 7 in Salzburg put on a show in the skies that day I wish I could play on repeat. After the event, nothing beat exploring 12th century castles, cobble stone streets and stained-glass churches with my little men in tow.

Prior Years Competed:
Awards Achieved:

Vehicle

Toyota FJ Cruiser 2007