Mogul skier Jenn Heil set to visit Rwanda

Before Jenn Heil returns to McGill University full-time this fall, the soon-to-be retired Olympic and world champion freestyle mogul skier will be visiting Rwanda.

And she's planning to take three Canadians with her.

It's all part of her role as an ambassador of the Because I am a Girl campaign with international children's charity Plan Canada.

Back in 2008, Heil traveled to Burkina Faso in West Africa to see the organization's philanthropy work.

"Because of the Because I am a Girl campaign, there were classrooms filled with girls," the 27-year-old pride of Spruce Grove recalled in a recent phone interview from Montreal.

"It was a beautiful and amazing thing to see. ... In many developing countries, girls are the last ones to be educated, whether there's not enough money after the boys go to school or in many cases the girls are kept at home to help with the housework."

Heil spoke with many of the girls and realized they understood "what a privilege it was to be there and how important it was that they succeeded because their younger sisters were watching."

They told her they dreamed of being doctors and lawyers. One girl wanted to be president of her country.

"It was the most amazing thing because they were such fragile dreams. These girls barely made it into the classroom and yet because they did, they were able to have huge dreams," she explained. "It just really struck me how we're all the same and how we want the brightest future possible."

Read full article: Edmonton Sun, February 21, 2011