Margaret Rose Breffeilh and Virginia Powell Symons met in 2012 saving the Teton Valley Balloon Rally from extinction. The annual event of balloon enthusiasts will celebrate its 45th anniversary in 2026.
“One person can’t fly a hot air balloon. It takes a team. And that team is called a crew,” Powell Symons said. “And the way that ballooning promotes teamwork and brings together people that might not have anything in common otherwise, to me, is probably what makes it the most beautiful.”
The friends’ conversation was recorded on Aug. 14, 2025 in Jackson, Wyoming, as part of StoryCorps’ 20th mobile tour, capturing the voices of everyday Americans. Stories recorded through StoryCorps are archived in the American Folklife Collection at the Library of Congress.
Listen to the full conversation at StoryCorps.org.
