Shannon Bahrke got the idea for Silver Bean Coffee when she was sitting around with her friends in a local coffee shop after a great day of skiing. As her friends were sharing their best ski memories, Bahrke decided that she wanted to capture that feeling of warmth and friendship -- from connecting with others over a shared experience -- in a coffee blend. After a recent injury prevented her from completing the 2007-08 World Cup season, Bahrke devoted her time to getting her coffee business off the ground.

Named Silver Bean Coffee for Bahrke's silver medal in freestyle moguls from the 2002 Salt Lake City games, the signature blends are roasted by the athlete herself and are already being sold online and at village grocery stores in Vail and Killington, Vermont. In the next couple of years, Bahrke is looking forward to not only competing in the 2010 Vancouver games, but also to getting her coffee sold at ski resorts nationwide. If she wins gold, Bahrke jokes, she might consider changing the name of her company.