Kids On Top

Kids On Top is founded on the awareness that there are many positive medical, spiritual, developmental, and "quality of life" benefits that children overcoming illnesses receive when they are empowered by participating in fun and healthy activities. Our focus at Kids On Top is always on the child. We want them to have fun, to laugh, and to actively participate in the event... in that order! We try our best to provide the kids with everything they need to do that, in a way that's safe, healthy, and medically appropriate.

Winter through a child's eyes can be a snowy, magical wonderland full of great things to do, and nowhere is this more true than in the state of Vermont. Kids On Top is a Vermont non-profit organization that works in close conjunction with the Pediatric Oncology Department at the University of Vermont Medical Center, to enable children being treated for cancer and other serious childhood diseases with the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, as all kids do, in the beautiful, natural settings that surround us.

During the fall, winter, and spring the Kids On Top program offers children that have been patients at the University of Vermont Medical Center the chance to rock climb, nordic ski, alpine ski and snowboard, mountain bike, hike, climb ropes courses and zip line at The Trapp Family Lodge and The Stowe Mountain Resort.

Kids On Top raises financial resources from corporate and private sponsors, and by hosting charity events, in order to provide children with everything they need to enjoy their Kids On Top experiences; including all necessary sports equipment, top quality instruction and appropriate "on hill" supervision during the event, meals, passes, lift tickets for alpine, cross country skiing and snowboarding, and on-site medical supervision. The children at Kids On Top have been through a great deal recently in their lives, and we focus on feeling and being well, feeling strong, and on challenging oneself while having a blast - to just enjoy being a kid.

Kids On Top is founded by Hilary Engisch-Klein, a former world champion athlete who is also a cancer survivor.
During her ten year career on the United States Freestyle Ski Team, Hilary was the dominant female mogul skier in the world, winning four overall world title championships over 5 years, and amassing more than thirty-five 1st place World Cup victories on the World Cup Freestyle Ski Tour. In addition to skiing, Hilary competed at the national level in both judo and soccer, and still holds the all-time scoring record in Women's Soccer at the University of Vermont.

Hilary's unique combination of finesse, athleticism, and go-for-it skiing style lead Skiing Magazine to once dub her "The greatest female skier alive." Hilary was awarded the U.S. Ski Association's "Athlete of the Year," and named "Sportswoman of the Year" by the U.S. Sportscasters Association. Hilary has been inducted into the Hall of Fame at the University of Vermont, the Vermont Ski Museum, and the Mount Mansfield Ski Club. In 2000, Sports Illustrated magazine selected Hilary as one of Vermont's fifty greatest athletes of the 20th century.

Hilary has successfully competed, and led youth ski programs around the world. She has served on the USSA's Board of Directors, and as a chairperson for the National Cystic Fibrosis Ski-athon. Hilary holds a B.A. from UVM, and a professional degree in Entertainment Studies from UCLA, as well as from Stella Adler's Acting conservatory in Hollywood. She enjoys spending time working on entertainment projects in the U.S. and Canada, coaching, and sharing her love of the outdoors. Kids On Top has just expanded into a three season outdoor adventure program ... and this is wonderful! Hilary and her husband have three daughters.