WHAT IS THIS ABOUT?
Peak Youth is a registered non-profit initiative in the Sea to Sky corridor and surrounding areas. We support youth and young adults who are struggling with mental health, seeking digital balance, and wanting to learn how to care for themselves through fitness and the outdoors.
Our flagship project, Balance in Motion, is an annual short film competition and outdoor wellness event for youth aged 12–18. It is designed to spark conversations about mental health, screen time, and reconnection with nature. Through our non-profit programs, we offer youth the chance to find strength and confidence through mentorship with coaches and professionals in both outdoor and gym settings.
Through storytelling, mentorship, and mountain adventure, we help youth explore what it means to find balance between the digital world and the real one.
-
Since 2010, youth mental health has been in steady decline across Canada and around the world. In British Columbia, the number of young people who rate their mental health as “good” or “excellent” has dropped from over 80% in 2013 to just 60% in 2023. Anxiety, depression, and feelings of isolation are on the rise, and suicide remains one of the leading causes of death for youth.
The pressures of social media, increased screen time, and the lingering impacts of the pandemic have made it harder for many teens to find balance and support. At the same time, research shows that spending time outdoors, building strong social connections, and engaging in physical activity are powerful protective factors.
This is why Peak Youth is committed to creating programs that reconnect young people to the mountains, to community, and to themselves.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Finding Balance Initiative
We are creating a year-round short film competition where youth can apply, share their stories on screen, and win prizes and funding. Inspired by ski and snowboard film festivals, Balance in Motion brings that same energy to youth and teens, giving them a platform to show their talents and be heard.
Each film focuses on mental health and what it means to create a balanced lifestyle that includes digital wellness, movement, and time outdoors with Mentorship + Coaching
Youth are matched with experienced mentors to help them create a balanced lifestyle and fight against mental health. We organize guided outdoor events, 3 month fitness program and digital wellness based life coaching for participating youth and those struggling with mental health — Rock climbing, biking, hiking, and indoor weight lifting with coaches and guides. application to be admitted into program
Mentorship + Coaching
Youth are matched with experienced mentors who help them build a more balanced lifestyle and develop tools to manage their mental health.
We organize guided outdoor events, a 3‑month fitness program, and digital-wellness-based life coaching for participating youth and those struggling with mental health. Activities include rock climbing, biking, hiking, and indoor strength training with certified coaches and guides.
Youth can apply to be admitted into the program, and we work closely with families, schools, and community partners to identify those who will benefit most.
THE MENTORS
Peak Youth is powered by a community of mentors, coaches, and trainers who believe in the healing power of the outdoors.
Our team includes certified personal trainers, mountain guides, life coaches, kinesiologists, and wellness professionals who bring diverse skills but share one mission.
Applicants are invited to a one‑on‑one meet and greet with founder Marina Leon. From there, youth are matched with coaches who align with their goals, interests, and needs.
Whether through fitness, outdoor adventure, or mentorship, our coaches provide guidance, encouragement, and practical tools that help young people build confidence, resilience, and connection—both on and off the mountain.
WHO WE SERVE?
Youth and young adults aged 12–21 in Whistler, Pemberton, Squamish, and surrounding communities
Teens and young adults facing anxiety, depression, digital overload, and low self-confidence
Schools, families, and community organizations seeking proactive, strengths-based mental health support through movement, nature, and mentorship
WHY?
We are living in a youth mental health crisis. Isolation, anxiety, and digital addiction are rising fast.
But nature heals. Movement restores. Creativity empowers.
Balance in Motion shows youth that they are not alone—and that they have a choice:
To self‑isolate, or to reach out, move, and reconnect.
Peak Youth exists to support that choice with gear, stories, mentors, mountains, and community.