Submitted Photo Jacob Smith champions the outdoors, whether skiing, skinning, snowmobiling, dirt biking or raising his herd of cattle.

The first time he launched himself down a mountain slope as a legally blind skier was about overcoming fear. Now, for 16-year-old Jacob Smith, it is about showing the world what he can do.

“I’m just kind of here to show what I can do and have fun,” Smith said. “Also, to kind of show ‘if I can, you can.’ I don’t think anyone should let any disability, or problem or whatever you call it, hold you back. There’s always ways to figure it out and do what you want to do and take it as far as you want to take it. You just have to put your mind to it and do it.”

Smith, who was featured on CBS’ “60 Minutes” last year, will be honored today in Beverly Hills, California, with the 2023 Soaring Spirit Award, presented by Looking Beyond, an organization whose fundraising mission is to impact the lives of children and families with special needs.

The Soaring Spirit Award is presented annually to an individual who exemplifies the limitless potential of the human spirit, according to Looking Beyond.

Smith was skiing at Big Sky in Montana this past week before traveling to California on Tuesday. When not skiing, Smith stays busy on the family farm property located both south of Minot and east of Surrey. While completing school studies online, he runs a feedlot, breeds more than 300 cattle and buys and sells vehicles.

He also has been filming both skiing and other backcountry winter sports. Next week he goes to Cooke City, Montana, to film a backcountry snowmobile/ski movie with Pangea Creatives, an athlete management and media production company that specializes in producing content for top brands.

Last spring he filmed for a movie that should be coming out soon, he said. He also is an ambassador for Big Sky Resort in Montana.

Smith learned to ski as a toddler, starting out at the ski park in Bottineau. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor at 8 years old, which left him with severe visual impairment. Over five years, he endured four major surgeries and six weeks of proton radiation before the tumor was put into remission.

Getting back on skis required conquering his fear, which took a couple of years to fully accomplish, Smith said. Skiing always has been the family sport, and he wanted to keep up with the rest of his family, including his two brothers and sister. His father, Nathan, who is accompanying him to the Looking Beyond event today, and his mother, Jennifer, also ski.

Nathan Smith said the award truly is an honor for his son, whose story is getting out and touching the lives of other people.

“What he’s doing is inspiring people,” he said.

Jacob Smith credits his parents and siblings for the encouragement that has kept him going, but his father said it hasn’t been a hard push.

“He doesn’t have much quit in him. Mostly it’s been encouraging him to continue pushing the limits, and that’s what he’s been doing,” Nathan Smith said.

Jacob Smith was the first blind skier to ski the Big Couloir and North Summit Snowfield in Big Sky Montana, both highly challenging slopes. He said he largely skis the Rocky Mountain region, which includes Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Oregon and Washington. He also skis in Canada.

He also skied competitively for four years, until last year. He was satisfied in finishing in the top 10 or top 20 in competing against sighted skiers.

Smith said turning his focus to filming allows him a greater opportunity to follow his passion.

“I can go where I want and go a lot higher and to a lot cooler places, and just make cool films and also be the first blind skier to ski it,” he said.

Smith said his love for the outdoors is part of the draw to skiing, snowmobiling, skinning (skiing up a trail), dirt biking and raising cattle.

“You can go everywhere when you’re up there on skis or skins or snowmobile or whatever. I just love being outside and in the mountains,” he said. “I’ve always liked going fast and jumping off things. It feels free.”

Skiing did lead to a serious mishap about four years ago when he shattered his femur, tore ligaments and chipped his growth plate. However, he was back on skis again five months later. He did lose 15-20% of the bend in his knee so doesn’t quite have full movement.

At this point, Smith said he hasn’t set any new goals for himself other than to keep spending time in the backcountry and filming.

He also was still deciding Tuesday on a charity to receive the $10,000 donation that will be granted on his behalf as a Soaring Spirit honoree. The event today includes a silent auction and luncheon with actress Halle Berry as guest.