Uganda to Utah: How the Mountains Taught a Pro Snowboarder To Thrive

From Mentee to Mentor

Mawejje’s first introduction to snowboarding and the outdoors was through Chill Boston, a youth development program that teaches kids resiliency through board sports. Participating in the program provided Mawejje with a vehicle to better understand and confront some of the personal struggles he was dealing with at the time. 

“One of the first challenges that you face in snowboarding is you get on this chairlift and once you're at the top of that mountain, it's on you and your own skills to get yourself down,” Mawejje explains. “There are barriers, twists and turns, getting through trees, and at the beginning, it might not be graceful but you’re still maneuvering.”

Mawejje believes the Chill program paid dividends to his development as an individual. Through the program, he found friendship and community, was given actionable tools to deal with his struggles and was introduced to the lifestyle of snowboarding. The gifts he received from Chill stoke his desire to give back, “I can’t pay it back so I try to pay it forward.” 

Mawejje became an official ambassador for the organization at the beginning of 2020 and prior to that served as a volunteer for Chill Salt Lake City. But whether he’s an ambassador or not, his goal remains the same: to help pass along the tools so that someone else can survive.

“I survived somehow,” Mawejje reflects. “I don't know how, but I do know that I'm not the only one. I know there are many people like myself who can benefit from just the same focus and peacefulness that snowboarding brought to my life. Even if it’s just for an hour or a day, or even just a weekend.”

It’s this self-assured approach to life and its stumbling blocks that is helping to propel Mawejje forward.

Reaching Beyond the Mountain

On and off the slopes, Mawejje has become a representative for many — Ugandans, Africans, Black Americans, as well as others who don’t fit the stereotypical mold of a winter sport athlete. It can be a lot for one person to shoulder, but Mawejje takes it in stride by showing up firmly as his authentic self. “I do want to be a voice in the snowboarding community. Representing not only the African continent and nations. But representing African Americans and Black snowboarders, and diverse individuals who are eager to snowboard and find the same joy I was able to find.”

“As I've grown, I've realized the blocks and the barriers that I’ve faced in life have given me an opportunity to do something that could be impactful...that can really inspire others and can change lives.”

Mawejje wants his impact to reach beyond just snowboarding. With a degree in chemistry and public health and master’s in epidemiology, he continues to work in the public health field when he can. He’s also done volunteer work with nonprofits across Africa in support of his long term goal of becoming a doctor. Like everything in his life, he approaches his medical career by staying steeped in gratitude and envisioning what his greatest impact on the world can be.

It’s clear that Mawejje will continue to be a bright light in this world, regardless of his Olympic status. “At the end of the day, the Olympics don't define me,” he says. “My goals don't define me. I define who I am.”