TEMPE, Ariz. — Benjamin Holm picked up his first pair of skis at 3 years old and instantly developed a passion for the sport.
“He loved it. He took it up so quickly and he was such a quick skier. He was a skilled black diamond skier," Benjamin's mother, Jennifer Holm Bawden told 12News.
Holm died Monday. The 22-year-old was skiing on a black diamond trail when he hit a block of ice and was thrown into a tree. He died on impact, his mother said.
"He had such a light that was taken just too soon," Holm Bawden said.
The black diamond trail is one of Snowbowl's most difficult terrains. Holm Bawden said her son had skied it several times before the accident.
"He knew what he was doing up there," Holm Bawden said.
Family is remembering Holm for his generosity to others.
“Ben was just the, he was the perfect son," his mother said. "There wasn’t a person on this Earth that he wouldn’t help.”
His mother said he loved the outdoors. He hiked Humphreys Peak for the first time at 12 years old.
A memorial in his honor is growing on A Mountain at Arizona State University (ASU).
"Just so special to so many people," Holm Bawden said.
The Tempe resident was on track to graduate from ASU with two degrees in family studies and communications in the spring. The university will give his parents his diplomas in his place.
“It means so much to me that I can put that on the wall and hopefully you know they say his name at graduation. I would love that," Holm Bawden said.
Holm wanted to be a youth counselor after graduation. He worked with kids as an activity leader with Tempe schools.
"All the kids would call him Mr. Ben," Holm Bawden said.
Holm Bawden told 12News that 22 years wasn't enough, but she knows her son's legacy will last beyond his lifetime.
"I'm so happy I had that time with him," Holm Bawden said.
The Tempe city manager acknowledged Holm's contribution to his community during a meeting on Thursday night.
Friends created a GoFundMe page to help family pay for memorial expenses. Donations can be made here.
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