Our Board Members
Trinity Wells – Chair
Trinity Wells - Board Chair
Trinity Wells – Board Chair
Trinity has made a career of leveraging financial analysis to facilitate strategic discussions for clients in the technology, government and nonprofit sectors. She began her career in investment banking (George K. Baum & Company, 2006 – 2013), structuring over $1 billion in capital project financings for education and nonprofit institutions. Now she works as an independent financial consultant (TJL Consulting LLC, 2013 – present) helping clients strategically navigate and manage growth, acquisition or change.
An avid outdoorswoman, she can be found setting first skin tracks, backpacking with her baby daughter on her chest, or climbing with friends. In 2011, Trinity took a year-long sabbatical in the form of a (virtually unprecedented) adventure where she and two friends thru-hiked up the spine of South America. In recognition of her trip and contribution of scientific data collected along the way, Trinity was awarded the Spirit of Adventure Award in 2016 by her alma mater, Colorado College, which “recognizes an alumnus/a who exemplifies the unique CC experience through a life of intellectual, social, or physical adventure.”
Prior to joining the Paradox Sports board in 2015, Trinity served on the boards of two wilderness-focused nonprofits – cityWILD (Denver, CO), which provides at-risk youth with wilderness service learning opportunities, and Pacific Biodiversity Institute (Winthrop, WA), which focuses on land preservation in South America.
She resides in her mountain playground, Nederland, CO, with her husband Jake, young daughter Atlantis, and black and fuzzy adventure pup, Pali.
D.J. Skelton
D.J. Skelton
D.J. Skelton
DJ Skelton grew up in Elk Point, SD. He briefly attended the University of South Dakota before embarking upon an unorthodox path of serving our Nation over the past two decades. His energy, leadership, sense of adventure and inspiration has gained him National and Global recognition.
DJ enlisted in the United States Army in 1996 as an interrogator and is a graduate of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC). In 1999 he was nominated to attend the United States Military Academy in West Point, NY, and commissioned in 2003 as a 2LT. After graduating from Infantry Officer Basic Course and Airborne school, DJ was severely wounded in November, 2004, while leading a rifle infantry platoon in Charlie Company, 1-5 IN BN, 1st BDE of the 25th ID in close combat in Fallujah, Iraq.
Since his recovery at Walter Reed, DJ dedicated himself to advancing the causes of wounded vets, authoring Our Hero Handbook, a comprehensive guide to assist wounded service members and their families in their recovery and rehabilitation. DJ also served as a military advisor to Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England on veterans’ affairs and care for wounded service members. DJ returned to Monterey, CA in 2008 to command Echo Company of the 229th MI BN at DLIFLC. He was also the Associate Dean for the Middle East School. He returned to the Pentagon in 2010 to serve as a Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ADM Mike Mullen, advising on veteran transition issues, wounded warrior policy and improving services to military families. DJ also served as a Non-Resident Military Fellow at the Center for a New American Security, leading the “silent wounds” project on post-traumatic growth for the center.
After six years of continual surgeries, rehab and recovery, DJ returned to the Infantry, completed the Infantry Captains Career Course at Ft. Benning, GA, was assigned to the 2nd Cavalry Regiment (CR) in Vilseck, Germany, and deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 as the Commander of Comanche Troop, 1st Squadron, 2nd CR in Panjway, Afghanistan. Upon redeployment, DJ was selected to serve as a China Foreign Area Officer (FAO). He completed Command and General Staff College and spent a year in Beijing, China conducting in-region training as a FAO.
DJ is fluent in Chinese, is one of the youngest graduates of Harvard’s Senior Executive Fellowship program, and is the Co-Founder of Paradox Sports, a non-profit organization that provides inspiration, opportunities, and adaptive equipment to the community, empowering their pursuit of a life of excellence.
DJ currently serves on active duty and is attending the Naval Postgraduate School pursuing a Master’s in International Relations. He lives in Monterey, CA with his wife Tucker and son Dakota.
Maury Birdwell, ESQ.
Maury Birdwell, ESQ.
Maury Birdwell, ESQ.
Maury is an Oklahoma native who quickly discovered the outdoors at a young age as an escape and mechanism for self development. The local Wichita Mountains wilderness area served as his venue for hiking and backpacking and soon matured into a life long fixation with climbing. He guided rock climbing outings in college and has summited peaks from Canada to Patagonia, Switzerland, and more. He loves sharing his passion with others and seeing the transformative power that a mother nature fueled pursuit can have in someone’s life.
After a ‘brief three year exile’ on the east coast to earn his law degree from Georgetown University, Maury made his home in Boulder, Colorado, where he runs a law practice focused on business, entrepreneurship, and non-profit development. He thrives on advising businesses and organizations and guiding their growth with reasoned thought, advice, and sometimes a touch of devil’s advocacy. In 2012 he co-founded and continues to serve as the Executive Director of the Honnold Foundation, which supports projects from the perspective of “improving lives through sustainability.”
Nate McKenzie
Nate McKenzie
Nate McKenzie
Nate McKenzie is a climbing guide based in Connecticut where he runs a monthly adaptive climbing night. Nate serves on the Paradox Sports Board of Directors and is Paradox Sports’ Lead Guide, helping to coordinate and guide Paradox Sports rock and ice climbing trips since 2009, including in the Gunks, North Conway, Joshua Tree and Red River Gorge. Nate contributed his expertise to Paradox’s Adaptive Climbing handbook and now leads Adaptive Climbing Initiative courses from coast to coast.
Price Floyd
Price Floyd
Price Floyd
Price Floyd is a native of Fort Worth, Texas and grew up spending as much time as he could outdoors – with the Boy Scouts, hiking and skiing in New Mexico and Colorado (the mountains weren’t quite big enough in Texas) and is now trapped in Washington, DC.
Price has extensive communications experience at the most senior levels of government and the private sector. He was most recently a senior public relations expert with Blue Engine Message and Media where he worked with Fortune 100 companies, non-profits and advocacy campaigns. From 2010 to 2014 he served as Vice President of Communications, responsible for Internal Communications and Global Digital Strategy, for BAE Systems.
Immediately prior to joining BAE Systems, Price was the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs (PDASD) from April 2009 until August 2010. In this role he served as staff advisor and assistant to the Secretary of Defense and Deputy Secretary of Defense for public information, internal information and community relations. Floyd led the worldwide public affairs community of approximately 2,400 military and civilian personnel. In this capacity, he transformed the Defense community into a digital leader in communications, launching all of the Defense Department’s social media platforms and creating an engaged and proactive public affairs workforce.
From 2007 through 2009 Floyd led the communications efforts for the Center for a New American Security. He promoted their policy initiatives and helped to transform it, from founding, into one of the pre-eminent national security organizations in the United States.
At the U.S. Department of State Price Floyd held several positions between 1990 and 2007. His final position was Director of Media Affairs, in which capacity he led the day-to-day relations with the media and developed and implemented media strategies to promote the foreign policy agenda of the Department. This included everything from the war in Iraq and elections in Afghanistan and Iraq, to the responses to natural disasters, such as the tsunami in Indonesia and the earthquake in Pakistan.
Price is married to Elizabeth Waters, a psychotherapist and attempts to keep up with her and their three teenage children. He does a couple of triathlons a year and wishes he could do Crossfit 24/7.
Rebecca Boozan
Rebecca Boozan
Rebecca Boozan
Rebecca grew up in Vermont and fell in love with the outdoors at an early age, running, biking, hiking, camping, and skiing in the woods and ski area by her house. Rebecca headed west to attend the University of Colorado at Boulder while starting a cleaning business to help fund tuition.
Thriving on giving back, Rebecca has always been involved in various volunteering endeavors whether it’s helping to build playgrounds for local schools, taking people up their first Colorado 14er or helping individuals fundraise money for Team In Training and train to run their first marathon.
After college, Rebecca backpacked and biked through Europe, trekked in Patagonia and climbed Kilimanjaro before starting her professional career in sales and marketing. Her love for endurance sports (competing in Ironman triathlons and ultra running) and talking to people quickly led her to working for technology companies in Boulder, CO and currently she is a Regional Manager for ChronoTrack, specializing in registration and timing technology for endurance events.
Craig Smith
Craig Smith
Craig Smith
Craig R. Smith is Chairman of the Board of Owens & Minor, a Fortune 500 Company and a leading healthcare logistics company dedicated to Connecting the World of Medical Products to the Point of CareTM by providing vital supply chain services to healthcare providers and manufacturers of healthcare products. With logistics platforms strategically located in the United States and Europe, Owens & Minor today serves markets where three quarters of global healthcare spending occurs.
Craig was named Chairman of the Board in April 2013. Prior to that, he served as Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer, from April 2013 until August 2013, when he relinquished the president’s title. He was named Chief Executive Officer in July 2005, after serving as President & Chief Operating Officer since 1999. Craig was also named to the Owens & Minor board of directors in 2005.
Craig has been active in the healthcare industry and in the community as a volunteer. He served as a governor‘s appointee on the Board of Directors of the Virginia Biotechnology Research Partnership Authority from July 2010 to June 2013. He also served on the University of Richmond’s Robins School of Business Executive Advisory Council, and is a past member of the Board of Directors of CrossOver Ministry of Richmond, which provides healthcare services to those in need. In addition, Craig served as the Chairman of the successful 2009 Central Virginia United Way Campaign. Currently, Craig serves on the University of Southern California’s Board of Leaders and on the Board of Alumni and Friends for Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History from the University of Southern California, and completed the executive program at the Colgate Darden School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia.
Mr. Smith and his wife, Cynthia, have two sons.
Jack Swift
Jack Swift
Jack Swift
As President of Crestone Captial in Boulder, Colorado, Jack oversees the strategic management of the firm and is responsible for driving growth and preserving the firm’s unique culture. As an industry veteran and trusted advisor, Jack advises entrepreneurs and executives on their overall wealth management needs. He develops long‐lasting personal relationships with clients, which helps him to provide the best solutions to meet their financial and personal objectives.
Over the past 18 years, Jack’s focus as an executive and entrepreneur has been on founding, investing in and building asset management companies. He has been successful in building and managing high performing teams operating in both public and private capital markets.
Working with both alternative and traditional strategies, Jack and his teams have raised nearly $50 billion.
Jack currently serves on the boards of Energy Outreach Colorado, the Emeritus Board for Denver Urban Scholars and the Investment Committee for the Montessori School of Evergreen. Prior to his business career, Jack served as a US Army Airborne Ranger and holds a Bachelor of Science in engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Todd Heskett
Todd Heskett
Todd Heskett
As the founder of Watermarq Consulting LLC in 2001 and now as a Managing Partner, Todd and his team, with a presence in the US, UK and New Zealand, specialize in helping global organizations manage and develop their talent to deliver enhanced business results. Watermarq has subject matter expertise helping organizations increase engagement through diversity & inclusion programs, leadership development, team performance and executive coaching. Todd leverages his leadership experience working for US and European global organizations, living abroad for 14 years and consulting across 40+ countries. He got book-smart at CU-Boulder and earned his Master’s degree in England at Sheffield Hallam University.
He knows that with a bit of luck, plenty of sweat equity and surrounding yourself with great people, you can create an environment where amazing things happen. Todd’s desire to develop leaders outside of his typical corporate clients, led him to rethink the possibilities of connecting with a wider audience. Understanding not everyone has the abilitiy to attend training and development, he wrote a book that was published in 2016. His book, Keep Your PIE Fresh, focuses on helping people understand key drivers to creating greater success at work. The book is based on his reflections of coaching leaders and teams over many years whereby he identified a pattern to help people succeed: preparing for success, creating the right image, and making the effort to change. These components are underpinned by two fundamental activities: reviewing progress and building a village of support.
In addition to his regular work, Todd has a commitment to developing his local community. He is a member of Rotary International and as a Veteran, mentors Veterans transitioning into the private sector after completing a college degree.
Our Staff
Mike Neustedter – Executive Director
Mike Neustedter - Executive Director
Mike Neustedter – Executive Director
A Silicon Valley native, Mike kicked off his career providing creative and design direction for Adobe Systems, Sony PlayStation, SAP, SanDisk, Ducati and Lockheed Martin. While guiding skiers with visual impairments and volunteering for Burton Chill on the side, Mike felt the urge to step away from the tech world to combine his career with community efforts at the Adaptive Sports Center (ASC) in Crested Butte.
For five years, Mike directed marketing strategy and served on the senior leadership team at the ASC, one of the largest adaptive sports programs in the country. While at the ASC Mike also became an AASI certified adaptive snowboard instructor and a licensed adaptive archery coach. As Executive Director of Paradox Sports, Mike is excited about the future of adaptive climbing.
After work, Mike can be found snowboarding, trail running and stand-up-paddling whitewater while his black lab follows closely behind.
Dave Elmore – Director of Programs
Dave Elmore - Director of Programs
Dave Elmore – Director of Programs
As a volunteer on a Paradox Sports climbing program, Dave was inspired by the mission and community. Subsequently, Dave joined the board of directors to lead leadership transitions, risk management and strategic planning. After four years of serving on the board, Dave joins the Paradox Team with decades of program experience and a desire to lead Paradox Sports programming as it relates to strategic planning.
A native of the Pacific Northwest, Dave attended the University of Oregon earning a B.S. in Psychology and minor in Environmental Science, while participating in the Outdoor Leadership Program. Upon graduating Dave began teaching and guiding for the Pacific Crest Outward Bound School, ultimately working with Outward Bound for fourteen years as a educator, staff trainer and program leader. Dave has served as Patagonia Program Director, Environmental Resource Director, Director of Programs and Safety and is a co-founder of Mountain Professionals, where he has served as lead guide for international expeditions around the globe. Most recently Dave served as an experiential education school leader and volunteer for local non-profits. As an avid climber of sport, alpine and big mountains, you can find Dave traveling the globe in search of adventure. Dave holds a M.S. from Denver University in Natural Resource Management, a WFR, AAIRE Level II certification and has participated in the AMGA Alpine guides program.
For questions about Adaptive Climbing Initiative courses and Paradox trips, please contact Dave@paradoxsports.org
Shelley Brook – Operations Manager
Shelley Brook - Operations Manager
Shelley Brook – Operations Manager
Originally from British Columbia, Shelley Brook grew up in Kansas City. After multiple trips each year to Colorado, she returned to her mountain roots permanently post graduation from the University of Kansas, where she earned a B.S. in Business Management and Spanish.
Shelley was Assistant Manager in the sales office for Breckenridge Ski and Ride School for four years before embarking on a year-long journey hiking the length of South America with two friends and then returning to guide Wilderness Therapy for Alaska Crossings in Southeast AK. Shelley strongly identifies with the Paradox mission and is excited to join the team as Operations Catalyst where she can combine her business mind with her passion for getting others active outdoors.
She is also the SheJumps Regional Coordinator for Colorado, which is a national nonprofit dedicated to increasing women’s participation in outdoor activities. In addition to exploring mountains, Shelley loves art, skiing & snowboarding, numbers, woodworking and traveling.
Becky Lindstrom – Development Manager
Becky Lindstrom - Development Manager
Becky Lindstrom – Development Manager
Born and raised in San Jose, CA, Becky moved to Colorado in 2004 to attend University of Colorado – Boulder. While in college, she met her future husband and upon graduation moved to Philadelphia where she worked as a preschool teacher and then a house manager for six years. The pull of Boulder proved to be too strong and in 2016, she moved back and got involved with Paradox Sports playing a key role in the first annual Base Camp Breakfast in 2016.
Together with her husband, Becky has a daughter, Rose, a golden retriever, Charlie, and two cats, Eliko and Rasputin. In her spare time she enjoys running, listening to true crime podcasts, and photography.
Amy Bannon – Program Manager
Amy Bannon - Program Manager
Amy Bannon – Program Manager
Born and raised on the east coast, Amy found her love for the outdoors in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and on the coastal shores of Rhode Island. It was not long afterwards that she discovered the value and impact of adaptive outdoor recreation during her time as a volunteer for the Adaptive Sports Partners of the North Country.
Fueled by her new-found passion for making outdoor sports accessible and inclusive to all, Amy moved to Arizona where she went on to complete her B.A in Outdoor Program Administration at Prescott College. While completing her degree, she worked with the Northern Arizona Adaptive Sports Association (NAASA) where she earned her PSIA Adaptive Level II certification and developed a growing volunteer program to expand opportunities for adaptive recreation in Northern Arizona.
When not on the slopes, Amy chases her love of rock climbing in all corners of the country and around the world. She holds certifications as an AMGA Single Pitch Instructor, Apprentice Rock Guide and Wilderness First Responder. Amy is eager to share her love of climbing through the lens Paradox’s important mission – to revolutionize lives through adaptive climbing opportunities that defy convention.
You can reach Amy via email at Amy@paradoxsports.org
Rex Laceby – Military and Veterans Program Advisor
Rex Laceby
Rex Laceby – Military and Veterans Program Advisor
Rex Laceby is a retired, prior-enlisted, Marine Corps Officer. He served in the Infantry, became a Force Recon Detachment Commander and eventual served as an Infantry Company Commander. As a combat veteran with disabilities that completed numerous worldwide deployments, Rex understands how Paradox Sports Veteran Programs can help our nation’s veterans deal with PTSD and help them find a new Task, Purpose and Sense of Community. Rex currently works at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he helps veterans in transition / career development. Rex founded and serves as President of the CU Boulder Veterans Alumni Association and is engaged in other statewide veteran organizations. Still giving back to his community, Rex is a technical rescue volunteer with Boulder Emergency Squad (BES). He is proud to serve Boulder County as a Public Safety Diver, Swift Water Rescue Technician, Wildland firefighter, Ice Rescue Trainer and in any emergency BES assistance is needed.
Bayley Wood – Marketing
Bayley Wood - Marketing
Bayley Wood – Marketing
Texas born and Virginia raised, Bayley had not even seen a mountain until about age 8 when she learned how to ski in Sun Valley, Idaho. Ever since, she has been visiting the Rockies on annual family skiing trips. After graduating from the School of the Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2012, she began a career with Nordstrom taking her from VA to DC and Baltimore. But she couldn’t deny her love for the mountains, and in 2017 Bayley stepped down from her management role, sold her belongings, and moved to Colorado permanently to pursue a career in Marketing.
As a self-starter, Bayley has taught herself coding and volunteered as a Visual Designer for Code for America to redesign a resource app for Boulder’s homeless. Her background in the arts, customer service, and management has led Bayley to a well-rounded grasp of marketing – everything from visual design to clear communication. Bayley is passionate about, although new to, rock climbing, and saw working with Paradox as the perfect opportunity to grow professionally and give back. She joined the Paradox Sports team as a Marketing Intern for the summer of 2018, and has stuck around to continue to support our mission – and our new website which she created during her internship!
In her free time you will find Bayley playing Sudoku, drawing, dog walking and or finding another adventure outdoors! Since moving to Colorado last year, she has fallen in love with the Boulder Flatirons. Bayley has free-soloed the second and third flatirons, and has goals to free-solo the 1st, 2nd & 3rd Flatirons in one day.
Renee Shapiro – Development Intern
Renee Shapiro - Development Intern
Renee Shapiro – Development Intern
Growing up in Sun Valley, Idaho gave Renee Shapiro her passion for the outdoors and all their activities. This sunny and snowy upbringing lead her to pursue a B.A. at the University of Colorado Boulder where she is in her final semester, majoring in International Affairs, Spanish and Geography.
Renee has paired her love for the outdoor industry with a desire to increase access and protection for the natural world. She has split time working as a rock climbing instructor and backpacking guide at the CU Outdoor Program and as a board member of the CU Backcountry Club, with non-profit leadership positions for gender equity in outdoor activities at SheJumps and climate change awareness at Climate Reality Project. This background made a position at Paradox Sports the perfect fit! Renee joined the team in December 2019 as the Development Intern, and is psyched to support the Paradox team and mission through fundraising and partnerships.
Our Guides
Adam Fisher – Program Lead
Adam Fisher - Program Lead
Adam Fisher – Program Lead
Adam hails from Ann Arbor, Michigan. He first learned to climb at the Red River Gorge in Kentucky while earning a degree in Environmental and Public Policy at the University of Michigan. Since then he has climbed and skied across the US and abroad, including significant time in the Tetons, North Cascades, Colorado Rockies, Patagonia, the Alaska Range, and the Wrangell-St. Elias. Adam has been teaching climbing since 2007 and guiding since 2009 with organizations such as the Colorado Outward Bound School, World Challenge Expeditions, and the Colorado Mountain School. In September 2016 he successfully completed his Rock Guide certification through the American Mountain Guides Association – there are less than 250 Certified Rock Guides in the whole country! Adam served as the Paradox Sports Program Director for over three years from 2015 to 2018, and continues to work as an ACI Course Instructor and Program Leader with Paradox.
Adam loves sharing climbing with friends – both old and new. His other interests include reading, cooking, music, and adventuring with friends.
Gary Dunn – Program Lead
Gary Dunn - Program Lead
Gary Dunn – Program Lead
Gary began sharing his passion for adventure as a guide over 20 years ago. Guiding throughout North and South America, he has taught rock climbing, ice climbing, mountaineering, tree climbing, caving, mountain biking, kayaking, and leadership development to a wide variety of audiences ranging from at-risk youth, people with disabilities, veterans, and business leaders.
Gary is an advocate for equal access for all and enjoys working with participants regardless of whether it is their first time climbing or they are climbing El Capitan in Yosemite. In his free time, he enjoys designing and innovating technique and gear to improve access as well as planning expeditions for people with disabilities. Gary truly believe what he does, while not therapy, is therapeutic. His favorite weekend of the year is the annual Paradox North Conway Ice Climbing trip.
When not in the field, he enjoys traveling with his wife and twin toddlers, as they learn all of the benefits of leading an active outdoor lifestyle.
Nate McKenzie – Program Lead
Nate McKenzie
Nate McKenzie
Nate McKenzie is a climbing guide based in Connecticut where he runs a monthly adaptive climbing night. Nate serves on the Paradox Sports Board of Directors and is Paradox Sports’ Lead Guide, helping to coordinate and guide Paradox Sports rock and ice climbing trips since 2009, including in the Gunks, North Conway, Joshua Tree and Red River Gorge. Nate contributed his expertise to Paradox’s Adaptive Climbing handbook and now leads Adaptive Climbing Initiative courses from coast to coast.
Dom Pascariello – Program Lead
Dom Pascariello - Program Lead
Dom Pascariello – Program Lead
Dom is originally from central Connecticut where he was introduced to climbing, and working with Youth. Getting started at an outdoor challenge course in 2009, Dom has been in the climbing industry for almost 10 years – working in route setting, coaching, gym management, and everything in between. Climbing has taken him all over the country, and the world.
In 2015 Dom took a training course with Paradox and he has been working with adaptive programs since.
After moving to Colorado in 2017 to help facilitate the opening of a successful rock climbing gym as General Manager at Ubergrippen Climbing Gym in Denver, Dom was looking for a way to make more meaningful connections in the community. He joined the Paradox team as part-time Climbing Club Coordinator in Spring 2018, and transitioned into a Program Lead facilitating Paradox’s Adaptive Climbing Initiative Courses across the country. He is excited to be able to share his passion for climbing with more fellow climbers than ever!
When he is not able to get on rock, Dom enjoys snowboarding, slack-lining, and exploring craft brewery’s.
Steve Levin
Steve Levin
Steve Levin
Steve started climbing with a guided ascent of the Upper Exum on the Grand Teton at age 13. Since then he has travelled and climbed widely throughout the U.S. and abroad, and is author of Eldorado Canyon: A Climbing Guide, the definitive guidebook to the climbing in Eldorado Canyon. He loves all types of rock climbing, from bouldering to big walls, and gets out climbing and guiding 200+ days a year. Steve is a Paradox Sports Instructor, visiting climbing gyms to teach and support adaptive climbing. In addition, he has been a guide on Paradox Sports rock climbing trips in Joshua Tree, Yosemite, Eldorado Canyon and Shelf Road. He is an AMGA Certified Rock Guide and AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Provider, and a Wilderness First Responder. He is a Senior Guide at Colorado Mountain School in Boulder, Colorado.
“Climbing can offer vital life experiences by placing unique demands on our bodies and minds. And it’s a lot of fun! I’m involved with Paradox Sports because I feel that everyone should have the opportunity for self-discovery that the vertical world offers.” – Steve Levin
Ryan Pedersen
Ryan Pedersen
Ryan Pedersen
Ryan was born in Massachusetts where he grew up tromping around New England’s dense forests and rivers. As he got a little older, this naturally progressed into climbing in the mountains. Following his desire to pursue a career in the outdoors, he studied Outdoor Education and Psychology at Johnson State College in northern Vermont. He began his formal mountain guide training with the American Mountain Guides Association in 2011 and began guiding single pitch rock climbing. In 2012 Ryan moved to Boulder, Colorado where he has worked as a climbing guide and a youth climbing team coach.
Ryan has climbed extensively all over the United States in places such as Yosemite Valley, the Colorado Rockies, the Tetons, Red Rock canyon, and all over the Northeast. He has also been fortunate enough to travel abroad to experience new places and cultures that offer a variety of climbing opportunities. Most recently, Ryan traveled to climb in the Peruvian Andes, the jungles of Cambodia, and the tall granite walls in Canada. When Ryan is not climbing for work or pleasure, he loves growing veggies in his garden and hanging out with his awesome border collie Lula!
Ryan has been and involved with Paradox sports since 2016 when he first volunteered on a Shelf Road climbing trip. He now works as both an ACI Course Instructor and climbing guide on Paradox Sports trips. He is a Wilderness First Responder, an AMGA Apprentice Rock and Alpine Guide, a Certified USA Climbing Coach and a NOLS graduate. He currently works for The Colorado Mountain School.
“I really believe that people from all different backgrounds can have life changing experiences in the mountains and the shared adventures between partners creates unique bonds. I’m very excited to share my passion and experiences with others who are searching for change in their life or simply wishing to learn and progress as a climber.”
Maureen “Mo” Beck
Maureen “Mo” Beck
Maureen (Whalley) Beck was lucky to grow up in the Maine woods scrambling and playing in the dirt. She roped up for the first time at age 12 and hasn’t stopped since. Cragging her way through New England, she developed her potential as a one-handed climber.
Prior to the advent of social media and the Internet, Maureen believed that she was the only differently abled person in the world that climbed. She and her friends invented techniques using a trial and error process, slowly (and sometimes painfully) learning out how to climb one-handed. Just because Maureen went to the school of hard knocks and just because she thought she was the only one-handed climber, doesn’t mean others have to have the same experience. She loves introducing differently abled people to climbing.
Now based in the Colorado Front Range, Mo spends her nights training at Evo Rock Lousiville and her weekends climbing all over the American southwest. She works closely with the adaptive climbing community through Paradox Sports and the Paraclimbing section of USA Climbing and helps manage the Front Range Adaptive Climbing Team. As a competitive climber, she has won four national titles, a gold medal at the 2014 Paraclimbing World Championships in Spain, and defended that title with a gold medal at the 2016 World Championships in Paris.
In addition to climbing, Mo loves gardening, her chickens and dogs, sleeping in cars, and fine Scotch whiskey.
Check out her personal blog here: http://www.moinmountains.com/
Jillian Yatsko
Jillian Yatsko
Jillian Yatsko
Jillian is a competitive rock climber and coach based out of San Diego, California. Growing up at the base of the Appalachian mountains she has always used outdoor recreation as a means for personal growth and exploration. After moving to California she narrowed her focus in on climbing. With San Diego’s large medical needs community, Jillian found it important to provide access to climbing for those with chronic medical conditions. Shortly thereafter, she began an adaptive rock climbing program at San Diego based climbing center Mesa Rim. A few months after program inception, Jillian was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Following a year of aggressive medical treatment Jillian saw how destructive the western approach to disease can be. She then set out to work with the medical community to embrace athletics and the outdoors as a supplement to traditional treatment modalities. Throughout this process, Jillian has traveled throughout the US and Europe advocating for the importance of inclusive climbing.
Jillian now works with individuals, groups, and organizations to put together athletic programming to serve the specific needs of their community. She presented at the Climbing Wall Summit in May 2018 on Adaptive Climbing and joined the Paradox ACI Course Instructor team in August 2018 to continue to educate and expand the climbing community nationally.
Madaleine Sorkin
Madaleine Sorkin
Madaleine Sorkin
Madaleine is an elite big wall free climber and certified AMGA Rock guide inspired to continually engage her next wall and coach climbers to meet theirs. A resident of Boulder, Colorado, Madaleine grew up in the suburbs outside of Washington D.C where she began climbing through summer adventure camps. She credits a supportive family and luck as much as positive climbing partnerships and a restless drive for transformative experiences in the natural world as the main contributors to her climbing life.
Madaleine has traveled from Colorado to California, and internationally to Kyrgyzstan, Patagonia, Jordan and Canada making several first or early ascents up to 5.13+ Grade VI (multi-day) rock walls, often in female teams and in remote areas. Looking back at any achievement or failure, Madaleine sees her ability to stay committed to a climb as linked to her ability to attend to her emotional and physical body and select appropriate responses to each arising challenge. At the heart of her climbing are the partnerships, wild dreams, struggle and humor that make the pursuit meaningful.
Madaleine has been involved with Paradox Sports as a climbing guide since 2015 in both Yosemite and Rocky Mountain National Parks, and earlier as a Paradox enthusiast. She appreciates the collaborative mentality of climbing with Paradox participants and trusts in climbing’s potential to support individual growth through direct experience. Madaleine looks forward to working more alongside Paradox climbers whether out for a fun, social climbing day or striving towards a wild dream.
Gavriel Weiner
Gavriel Weiner
Gavriel Weiner
Gavi’s love for the outdoors began at age 7, when her Dad had to carry her pack up the big hills. Since then, she has rock climbed, backpacked, and frolicked in the peaks of Peru, Ecuador, Mexico, Cuba, Canada, California and Colorado. After a decade as a weekend warrior in the Sierras and the Rockies, she began guiding in 2012. She loves helping others access the might of the outdoors and the thrill or climbing.
She is proud to be a Paradox Instructor, helping gyms across the country with the skills and confidence to say YES to people of all abilities. Gavi is an AMGA Single Pitch Instructor (working toward her Rock Instructor certification!) and is a Wilderness First Responder. She guides climbing with a handful of companies and non profits in Boulder, CO.
Kris Norbraten
Kris Norbraten
Kris Norbraten
Kris first fell in love with the outdoors on family camping trips to the Texas Hill Country and the Arkansas Ozarks when she was small. After her first backpacking trip in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains during high school, she returned to guide in the Weminuche Wilderness Area. Those formative years drew Kris back to Colorado, and eventually to Paradox Sports.
With a deep belief that anyone who wants to climb should, she now instructs the Adaptive Climbing Initiative courses in gyms across the country and a joint pilot program in Boulder with Paradox and Imagine!, a non-profit serving people with developmental, cognitive, and physical challenges in Colorado.
Kris is also a climbing instructor at the Boulder Rock Club, a backpacking guide with Women’s Wilderness, a Wilderness First Responder, and author. She climbs locally around Boulder, but her heart has always been split between the Texas Hill Country and the San Juans.
Ali Brickner
Ali Bradway
Ali Bradway
Ali was born and raised in a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota. She grew up appreciating hard work, cold winters and mama’s home made hot dish. After receiving a degree in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, she moved back to Minneapolis and discovered the joys of rock climbing. Ali started climbing in the gym and quickly started exploring outdoor climbing, where she traveled around the US and Canada to find “super sick boulders”. As her passion for climbing grew, Ali got a job at a local gym where she became a youth climbing coach. After working there for about three years, she expanded her work by developing an adaptive climbing program for youth. This program is where Ali found her passion and niche for helping others discover their potential through rock climbing. Fueled by this passion, she discovered Paradox Sports and worked as the Program Intern in the Fall of 2017. After the internship, she wanted to stay connected with Paradox and joined the team as a ACI Course Instructor. Ali currently lives in Minneapolis, where she is running an Adaptive Climbing Program at a local gym, the Midwest Climbing Academy.
Quinn Brett
Quinn Brett
Quinn Brett
Quinn was introduced by chance to rock climbing at a young age and completely embraced the physical and mental aspects of the sport. For 20 years she has traveled the planet, exploring summits and valleys, and climbing, hiking, practicing yoga, and laughing throughout the beautiful nooks of the world. Among her many accomplishments as a climber are first ascents in Patagonia and women’s speed records on El Cap in Yosemite. In 2017, Quinn fell on El Capitan and is now paralyzed below the waist. She continues to adventure and inspire others to do the same.
Quinn is a certified Wilderness EMT, holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology as well as a Colorado teaching certificate, and works for the National Parks Service. She snorts when she laughs and loves doing handstands on outrageous mountain summits worldwide.
Andy Hershey
Andy Hershey
Andy Hershey
Andy began his involvement with Paradox Sports in 2013 with a fundraising initiative. Since then, Andy has volunteered each year at the Paradox Rocks program in the Gunks and the Paradox Ice program in New Hampshire, coordinated the first adaptive climbing academic course at Garrett College and joined the Adaptive Climbing Initiative as a course instructor in 2018.
A former professor at the Adventuresports Institute of Garrett College, Andy is now Program Coordinator and Lecturer in the Adventure Sports Management program at nearby Frostburg State University in Western Maryland. Andy’s career has included field, classroom and administrative positions working with a variety of populations in the outdoor industry and he has spent time as a backcountry ranger in Yosemite National Park, as a Program Coordinator at the Yellow Breeches Educational Center and as a guide and instructor at a variety of outdoor programs and guide services. In addition to his role at Frostburg, Andy is also a partner at North Fork Adventures LLC and Seneca Rocks Mountain Guides.
Andy resides with his wife and two children in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and the family spends their summers living and working in Seneca Rocks, WV.
Our Ambassadors
Chad Jukes
Chad Jukes
Chad Jukes
Chad Jukes is an athlete and veteran with disabilities who has overcome adversity through living a life of adventure in the outdoors. After being injured in combat in Northern Iraq in 2006, Chad made the difficult decision to amputate his lower leg in 2007 after connecting with Paradox Sports co-founder and BK amputee Malcolm Daly and knowing this would be the best way to get back into the mountains. He joined one of our first ever Paradox Sports trip in early 2007 to Eldorado Canyon and has been getting after it ever since! Based out of Ridgway, CO, Chad is an avid ice climber and mountaineer. He shares his experiences through mentoring others and speaking to groups about his journey from the hospital bed to the summit of Everest.
Chad’s accomplishments include many notable climbs including Zodiac on El Capitan, Bridal Veil Falls in Telluride, Mt Rainier, The Grand Teton, Lobuche in Nepal, and Everest. He has also taught many people – including climbers and veterans with disabilities – how to climb in the iconic Ouray Ice Park. He is an Athlete Ambassador for Marmot, BlueWater Ropes and Paradox Sports.
For more info check out his website here: www.chadjukes.com
Maureen “Mo” Beck
Maureen “Mo” Beck
Maureen (Whalley) Beck was lucky to grow up in the Maine woods scrambling and playing in the dirt. She roped up for the first time at age 12 and hasn’t stopped since. Cragging her way through New England, she developed her potential as a one-handed climber.
Prior to the advent of social media and the Internet, Maureen believed that she was the only differently abled person in the world that climbed. She and her friends invented techniques using a trial and error process, slowly (and sometimes painfully) learning out how to climb one-handed. Just because Maureen went to the school of hard knocks and just because she thought she was the only one-handed climber, doesn’t mean others have to have the same experience. She loves introducing differently abled people to climbing.
Now based in the Colorado Front Range, Mo spends her nights training at Evo Rock Lousiville and her weekends climbing all over the American southwest. She works closely with the adaptive climbing community through Paradox Sports and the Paraclimbing section of USA Climbing and helps manage the Front Range Adaptive Climbing Team. As a competitive climber, she has won four national titles, a gold medal at the 2014 Paraclimbing World Championships in Spain, and defended that title with a gold medal at the 2016 World Championships in Paris.
In addition to climbing, Mo loves gardening, her chickens and dogs, sleeping in cars, and fine Scotch whiskey.
Check out her personal blog here: http://www.moinmountains.com/
Jess Sporte
Jess Sporte - Program Lead
Jess Sporte – Program Lead
When Jessica was only four months old, she was dropped of at an orphanage in South Korea due to a tumor in her leg, leading its amputation. Sporte had a new beginning when she was adopted by a family in Michigan. Growing up with 8 siblings taught Jessica that, although one could make up many excuses for not doing something, having one leg was not a good enough excuse to get out of chores. And if she could do chores, she could also play sports.
Jessica traveled the U.S. competing in wheelchair tennis, earning a career high of 2nd in the nation and 59th in the world. She also participated in wheelchair basketball, sled hockey, and downhill skiing. In 2012, long ski runs enticed her to move to Colorado. However, it wasn’t until 2015 that she participated in an Adaptive Climbing Club night and was introduced to Paradox Sports. Since that night, Jessica has missed few club nights and instead competed at three paraclimbing Nationals and a World Championship, and is a Paradox Sports Ambassador. Jess has a degree in Recreational Management and began working with Paradox Sports in the summer of 2018 as a Program Lead.
Besides sports, Jessica also enjoys reading, DIY projects and crafts such as knitting, card making, and origami.
Vasu Sojitra
Vasu Sojitra
Vasu Sojitra
When Vasu was only nine months old, he was diagnosed with septicemia, resulting in the amputation of one of his legs. Since then, Vasu has not looked back; with the help of his parents, brother, and friends, Vasu has built up the confidence needed to face new challenges with grace, courage, strength, humor, and unwavering determination.
Vasu witnessed extreme poverty growing up in India, and has been living most of his life with a “dis”ability. He looks at these experiences as a blessing; they have both allowed him to truly hone in on his ability to empathize with others. He continues to strengthen this muscle by pursuing his passion of helping others through his work in advocacy for those who face mental and physical limitations.
While going to school back on the East Coast at the University of Vermont, Vasu was contacted by Paradox Sports trainer and Board Member Nate McKenzie and invited to join the North Conway ice climbing event. That sparked a new relationship with Paradox. Once Vasu moved from Vermont to Montana, he attended another Paradox Sports trips – to climb the Grand Teton in the Fall of 2014. A short documentary, “A Grand Pursuit” about the trip was produced with the help of Will Strathmann in the Summer of 2015. This depicted the journey and the accomplishment of the group as well as a first ascent on crutches by Vasu.
During the winter following the Grand Teton trip in 2014, Vasu was featured in his first short documentary, “Out on a Limb”, depicting the challenges and innovations needed to follow his passion, skiing. “Out on a Limb” gained major coverage in the outdoor industry by being featured in the 2014-15 Banff Mountain Film Festival, Telluride Mountainfilm, and many more. This gave Vasu the opportunity to voice his mission to thousands of people worldwide. It didn’t stop there though. As the film gained more publicity, Vasu was able to sign on with several outdoor brands as an athlete and ambassador: Darn Tough Socks, Deuter/Ortovox, DPS Skis, Dynafit, Julbo Eyewear, Kate’s Real Food, and Paradox Sports.
With their help and many others, Vasu continues to inspire others to be a positive influence in their own communities by pushing personal limits, putting others first, and encouraging people to believe in themselves and in their own unique abilities!
You can follow Vasu’s journey at www.vasusojitra.com
Dan Boozan
Dan Boozan
Dan Boozan
A native Vermonter and former bike and ski racer, Dan was involved in a bike accident that left him with a paralyzed right arm and other injuries. After moving to Colorado in August of 2013, Dan connected Paradox Sports in June 2014 and joined us for our ascent of the Grand Teton in September 2014, which was featured in the short documentary “A Grand Pursuit”. Always at home in the mountains, Dan can be found skiing, hiking, and climbing with friends when ever possible. Dan has an affinity for multi pitch slab climbing and is a “stalwart” of the Front Range Adaptive Climbing Club. As an ambassador he looks forward to helping introduce and share with other all the great things he has experienced and gained since becoming a member of Paradox Sports.
Aika Yoshida
Aika Yoshida
Aika Yoshida
Aika is a native of Japan and currently resides in Indianapolis, IN. She loves outdoor activities and promotes health/wellness as a physical therapist. She has been rock climbing at Red River Gorge, KY for over 10 years. In summer of 2013, Aika fell on her head while practicing acrobatic yoga, which resulted in incomplete spinal cord injury at C6 with quadriparesis (weakness affecting all four limbs). She has used her love of climbing to re-connect with her body to find her new “normal self”. She has surrounded herself with like-minded people at Paradox Sports during her recovery to remind herself that she does not have to give up on her passion despite her limitations. Aika now has started Indiana’s first official adaptive climbing group to share her love of climbing with ALL people. She is also the 2016 Japanese Paraclimbing Champion and continues to push herself to higher level as an adaptive athlete.
You can watch this short video about Aika and Paradox here!
“Every unexpected change is an opportunity for something wonderful” ~unknown
Enock Glidden
Enock Glidden
Enock Glidden
Enock grew up in Patten, a small town in northern Maine, and now resides in Bethel, Maine. As a child with Spina Bifida, Enock had to learn to do things differently than others but with the use of adaptive equipment and help from friends and family, he has had a very full life.
He has had the opportunity to experience a lot of things that people with two working legs may not even try. Enock is an avid rock climber and skier, as well as active in many other sports including tennis, basketball, paragliding and skydiving. Through an internship related to his studies in computer science he was able to travel across the United States in 2016 and visit some of our most cherished outdoor spaces including many national parks. He culminated his internship experience in California with a 5 day ascent of “Zodiac” on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, which was filmed by Craig Muderlak for a movie to be released in Spring 2017.
Despite what some may call a setback in life he has made it his mission to inspire others to get out and try things and experience as much in life as they possibly can. All of his adventures can be followed at his blog: www.gobeyondthefence.com
James Scheri
James Scheri
James Scheri
Born and raised in the midwest James is a USMC veteran who moved to Colorado after graduating college to pursue mountain sports including climbing. Shortly after moving he was involved in a train on cycle incident which result in the amputation of his right foot in 2014 .
James started at a rehab program before starting to walk and through contacts there he began climbing with the Front Range Adaptive Climbing Club and Paradox Sports. Still fairly new to the adaptive climbing scene, James earned a spot at Nationals in Atlanta to climb on the 2016 US Climbing Team in Paris, his first international competition!
James predominantly climbs in the Golden & Boulder areas of Colorado; however, also enjoys climbing in the Vail and Ouray areas, Utah, Wyoming, and Fontainebleau. His other hobbies include camping, backpacking, cycling, Mtn biking, snowboarding, fishing, and just being in the backcountry in general.
Follow James on Instagram or Facebook!
Shawn Sturges
Shawn Sturges
Shawn Sturges
After graduating from high school in the summer of 2004, Shawn Sturges was experiencing a puzzling sudden decline in vision. Before summer’s end his world turned black – literally black – caused by Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy. Shawn was now classified as “VI” or a visually impaired individual. It took time to adjust to his new life, and he eventually returned to martial arts and school – earning multiple Bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration. Through Martial Arts and University, he learned the discipline, perseverance, determination, and belief in one’s own abilities that are needed to find success which he later took to rock climbing.
In the fall of 2015 Shawn was introduced to rock climbing by a friend, and he was hooked. Shawn joined the local Adaptive Climbing Group (ACG) to learn climbing techniques at Brooklyn Boulders in Chicago. A year later he joined an adaptive climbing competition team to compete at the USA Climbing Adaptive Nationals in Georgia in the summer of 2016, taking home second place in the visually impaired category, and earning him a spot on team USA to compete in the 2016 IFSC World Para Climbing Championships which were held in Paris, France 2016.
In the Spring of 2017, he joined the Paradox Sports Adaptive Climbing Skills Clinic in Joshua Tree National Park where he learned crack climbing techniques, aid and trad climbing techniques, repelling, anchor building, and many other climbing techniques to be both a safe and more responsible outside climber. Shawn also joined the 2017 Paradox Rocky Mountain National Park trip to climb Long’s Peak, one of the 14,000ft. peaks. Inclement weather altered trip plans, however this resulted in Shawn’s first successful multi-pitch and rappel of “The Bomb” on The Wind Tower in Eldorado Canyon. Shawn has climbed multi-pitch routes on Devils Tower and in Vedauwoo, bouldered in the world-renowned Fountaine Bleu in France, ice climbed in the upper peninsula of Michigan, and again joined Paradox in 2018 at The Red River Gorge. He continues to hone his skills to reach his future goals to climb big walls, multi-pitch climbs, and ice both in the U.S. and around the world.
“The visual limitation that I face is not a hindrance that most believe it to be while climbing. As an adaptive climber and individual in our world I am in a constant state of problem solving. What I have learned as a blind individual is that my world is very tactual, so rock climbing lends itself quite well to my world. I use visualization and flat hand scanning a tremendous amount while I climb which helps me to determine my path of upward ascent. My daily navigation skills that I use to travel around Chicago has also helped me to find success in climbing since I am always aware of my body position and surroundings which is also very important when on the wall. What I have determined is that climbing to me is not that different from my everyday life and that realization will be what helps me to achieve all my climbing goals.” – Shawn Sturges
Trevor Smith
Trevor Smith
Trevor Smith
Trevor Smith has been a Colorado native his whole life. His inspiration to get into rock climbing came with being near the climbing mecca that is Boulder. When Trevor and his family would drive up Boulder Canyon, he would sit there in awe over the massive walls that people were scaling on every corner. This inspired him to push his own limits and start climbing in the Winter of 2015. Soon after, he met Paradox and his adventures began. When he was growing up, he would play soccer and basketball but, Trevor never felt fully satisfied with what he was doing. Trevor wanted to be great at something and climbing gave him the opportunity to achieve his goal. In the 2018 Paraclimbing World Championship, he placed 2nd in his category. This was his 2nd competition, the first being nationals a few months earlier, that he had ever competed in. At age 17, Trevor is the youngest climber to join the Paradox Sports Ambassador Team!
“Climbing has taught me so much about myself. I’ve learned that anything is possible with the right mindset and determination. I’ve learned that there will always be someone better, faster, and stronger than you so, you have to push yourself if you want to succeed on world level stage. And most importantly, I’ve learned that climbing is a lifestyle. It is more than just an activity that people compete in or do on the weekends. It is a tightly knit community that respects everyone within it and wants to see everyone succeed. I want to be a part of that community. I want to develop our community and show to everyone that our sport is lifelong activity.”
Trevor has been climbing with Paradox since 2016 and plans on many years more to come! You can follow Trevor along his journey on his Instagram account: @trevor_jsmith
