When discussing how three-time Olympic aerialist Emily Cook gives back to the Park City community, it might be quicker to list the local organizations she isn't involved with.
From The Speedy Foundation to the Youth Sports Alliance to Kids Play International, Cook is involved with nonprofits at the local, national and global level.
Following her retirement from aerials after the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, Cook now has even more time to dedicate to causes important to her. One of the organizations that means a lot to Cook on a personal level is The Speedy Foundation, started in memory of Jeret "Speedy" Peterson, one of Cook's teammates who committed suicide following the 2010 Olympics. The Speedy Foundation works to increase awareness of mental illness and suicide prevention.
"I sat on their board for a couple years, probably about two years," she said. "It's a great organization. I think the biggest thing about them is really thinking about how you just don't know what's going on with the person sitting next to you. You can look at someone and they can have the most successful life, the greatest friends and the greatest family, yet they can still be struggling with something.
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