How did you get started doing what you do as a professional athlete for Team KAVU?Can you elaborate a bit on your journey of becoming a pro athlete. Where did it all begin? Do you have a core memory of a moment or time when you were like “yes”…this is the thing I love to do and I want to do it all the time? Was there a particular person in your life that played a role in helping you along your journey of becoming a pro athlete/ on team KAVU? Basically can you give me a little background on your journey of how you got to this point in your life of being a pro athlete/ ambassador for KAVU?

While working at a local hospital in Montana, I’d been extremely focused on competitive hang gliding, and on rock and ice climbing. After being ranked and able to represent both the largest hang gliding manufacture in the world, and our country in international competition, coupled with some first ascents around the world, including a new, difficult route in the Tibetan Himalaya, I was lucky enough that my sponsors were offering opportunity and support that was greater than my salary at the hospital. It was only then that I realized it might be possible, albeit risky, to throw my hat in the ring and see if I could make a life and help to take care of my family with my life’s passions. I also supplemented sponsorships with design work, helping to build a competition-class hang gliding harness that ended up being sold to pilots all over the world. It was an exciting time and I owe everything to the amazing people who put so much belief in me and have supported what’s become the most intense and incredible experiences of my life over the last two decades.

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