No Barriers, Paradox Sports Announce Grand Teton Expedition Team
9 veterans with disabilities will attempt to summit the Grand Teton on August 25
Fort Collins, Colorado, Aug. 15, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- No Barriers and Paradox Sports announced today the 2019 Grand Teton Expedition team. The two area nonprofits are both dedicated to helping make outdoor adventure more accessible for people with disabilities, teaming up to host adaptive expeditions featuring veteran athletes for the second year in a row. The team will be led by Exum Mountain Guides up the 5,000-foot approach to the Exum Hut, which provides unparalleled views of Idaho and Wyoming. Participation for this program is free for participants thanks to a generous anonymous donor.
Nate Gilette, the No Barriers Warriors Program Manager says of the experience, “This expedition is a perfect vessel to show people how to live a No Barriers Life. From the Vision of conquering adversity and summiting the Grand Teton, to working together to keep each other safe on an actual Rope Team—their outcome will hinge on the team’s ability to prove that what’s within them is stronger than what’s in their way!”
No Barriers, a nonprofit based in Fort Collins, Colorado, focuses on empowering people to break through barriers, find their inner purpose, and contribute their best to the world. Through transformative experiences, tools, and inspiration, No Barriers helps people embark on a quest to fully unleash the potential of the human spirit. In the process, they foster a community of curious, brave, and collaborative explorers who are determined to live a No Barriers Life.
The mission of Paradox Sports is to transform lives and communities through adaptive climbing opportunities that defy convention. As the nation’s premier adaptive climbing organization since 2007, Paradox Sports is committed to making the sport accessible to all by organizing climbing trips and clinics to help athletes realize their full potential.
In the past few years, the Grand Teton climbing trip has provided a unique venue for over thirty veterans to experience one of the most awesome alpine environments in the United States. The 2019 Grand Teton expedition team includes:
- Terry Schartung – Colorado – US ARMY
- Wade Spann – Virginia – US MARINE CORPS
- Antionette Tonasco – Colorado – US ARMY
- Jessie Valesquez – Colorado – US NAVY, US ARMY
- Joni Marquez – California – US AIRFORCE
- Mitch Dryer – Colorado – US AIRFORCE
- Lawrence Carlin – Florida – US ARMY
- Kurt Schumacher – Wisconsin – US ARMY
- Jose Martinez – Texas – US MARINE CORPS
“This partnership is a great opportunity for both organizations to fulfill their missions, respectively, and more importantly to serve the men and women of the military. The program is focused on climbing, but the transformative power of the overall experience is amazing. These veterans are learning new technical skills, but are also testing themselves, pushing their limits and building relationships that transcend the trip,” said Dave Elmore, Interim Executive Director of Paradox Sports.
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About No Barriers Warriors
No Barriers Warriors, a program of No Barriers USA, is focused on improving the lives of veterans with disabilities through transformative, curriculum-based expeditions in challenging outdoor environments. Each No Barriers Warriors expedition is designed to push veterans mentally and physically in some of nature’s more incredible wilderness settings. We create a safe space and encourage them to reflect on their past, recognize where they are in the present, and then look with positivity to the future. The experience serves as a catalyst for change as veterans stretch their boundaries, innovate through adversity, and build lifelong Rope Teams.
About Paradox Sports
Paradox Sports is a nonprofit organization in Boulder, Colorado that provides youth, adults and military veterans with physical disabilities the opportunity to rock and ice climb. Paradox Sports strives to make climbing facilities, parks, and open spaces more accessible by providing adaptive rock/ice climbing programs at iconic climbing locations across the United States. As well, Paradox Sports delivers adaptive climbing training based on the first ever-adaptive climbing manual, written in 2015. Through its adaptive climbing programs, participants gain the self-confidence, skills, and independence to engage in the outdoors, access iconic landscapes, and belong to a community that provides camaraderie, support and overall well-being.
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Jaime Donnelly No Barriers 970-484-3633 x 316 jaime.donnelly@nobarriersusa.org Summer Clowers No Barriers USA 970-484-3633 SUMMER.CLOWERS@NOBARRIERSUSA.ORG Dave Elmore Paradox Sports 720.638.5593 dave@paradoxsports.org
