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RIGBY, Idaho — From school billboards to signs on Main Street, it's not hard to spot Olympic excitement for the hometown hero in Rigby, Idaho. Jessika Jenson returned the love from Sochi during NBC’s prime-time Olympic coverage when she exclaimed “I heart Idaho!” after her last Olympic run on Feb. 9.
“I got a lot of Tweets about ‘I heart Idaho.’ I really love Idaho,” she said.
The slopestyle athlete learned she qualified for the Olympics just two weeks before the start of the games. “Everyone was in shock. I kind of came out of nowhere,” Jenson explained. The 22-year-old is the first Olympian from eastern Idaho to compete since 1964. “I am so grateful for all the great support I have from back home.”
Before she left for Sochi, Rigby High School gave the 2009 graduate a huge send-off party. Friends and family anxiously watched the live feed as she twisted through the air, barely missing a spot in the finals.
“I actually watched it live with one eye open and when it was on TV, then it was both eyes open and she actually did better with both eyes open,” said mother Natalie Jenson.
Jessika Jenson flew back to Idaho Saturday morning, and that same day her home resort — Kelly Canyon — threw her a homecoming party and named a trail after her.
“Every time we turn around someone wants to have a party for her,” said father Kevin Jenson.
Despite all of the attention, JessiKa has kept her priorities in check. The first chance she got, she fulfilled a promise to give her little sister her first snowboarding lesson.
“It was really fun. She taught me some stuff and I hope to be like her,” said 12-year-old Ashley Jenson. After watching her big sister compete at the Olympics, Ashley decided it was time to trade her skis for a snowboard. “I will never go back to skiing.”
“I was proud of her. She’s definitely a natural and she’s going to be one to watch out for,” beamed her older sister.
Jessika Jenson will definitely be one to continue to watch for on the world circuit. She is planning on another shot at an Olympic medal at South Korea in 2018.
“I am already looking forward to training hard.”
