“Storytelling isn’t just part of AFA. It is AFA.”
In This Story:
- Four Families Who Said Yes
- Training Without a Map
- A Week in the Adirondacks
- The Birth of AFA Storytelling
- A Team Forever Changed
- What’s Next
Four Families Who Said Yes
On January 1, 2021, Adventure For All officially began. It wasn’t glamorous. There was no big budget, no polished team, and no safety net. But we had four families who said “yes.”
Riley. Josh. Jordan. Anthony. The original four. The OGs of AFA.
They weren’t just signing up for an adventure. They were stepping into something untested. Something people told us couldn’t be done. Doctors, foundations, and skeptics shook their heads when I said we were going to teach these athletes to independently bike, kayak, hike, set goals, and climb mountains. The statistics didn’t lie: only 14% of individuals with exceptionalities ride a two-wheel bike. And independence? Even harder; 82% unemployment, 86% living dependently.
But I’ve never been one to let numbers dictate potential. Numbers don’t tell the whole story. People do.
Training Without a Map
For four months, we trained every week. Biking. Kayaking. Hiking. Learning how to fall and get back up. Learning how to encourage one another when things got hard.
Most people I talked to loved the passion, but questioned the outcome. Out of ten foundations I pitched, only one said yes. The rest was funded on a credit card and my savings.
Worst case? Some money lost, but four families would make memories that would last a lifetime.
Best case? We’d spark the beginning of a movement that could change the way the world sees human potential.
But it was never about convincing people. It was about giving these four athletes and their families an experience they would never forget. If the world was going to believe, it would be because Riley, Josh, Jordan, and Anthony showed them..
Around month two, the athletes were excelling. They began communicating more. They became intentional about supporting each other during challenges. Resilience was growing. Confidence was taking root. Self-belief was coming alive.
It was real. The question was, how do we help everyone else witness this beautiful journey?
A Week in the Adirondacks
That’s when I called my dear friend, Morgan Alley. At the time, he ran a film agency called 1836. We agreed to take a leap of faith: we’d shoot a documentary. All or nothing.
And then came the week that changed everything.
We loaded up and headed to the Adirondacks. For a week, these athletes biked further than they thought possible, camped out under the stars, fly fished in the running river, and stood proudly on mountain summits. We laughed, we cried, we celebrated every small win that added up to something extraordinary.
I will never forget the look in their parents’ eyes. They were witnessing their children accomplish what others have told them is impossible for years. And these week-long miracle moments changed everything.
That trip also changed something for Sean Pfalzgraf. At the time, Sean was a good friend that was helping me set up the 501(c)(3) and managing all the finances for the past year, for nothing in return, so I knew it was time for him to come experience what he was giving so much of his valuable energy towards. As he watched this week unfold, it wrecked him, in the best way. He saw what I saw and felt what I felt. He saw what was possible when belief is the foundation. By the end of the trip, he knew he couldn’t go back to the corporate world as usual. He quit his job. Today, Sean is AFA’s CFO and our AI product implementer, building systems that will carry this mission across the nation and one day, the globe.
And Morgan? The storyteller behind the lens became the heartbeat of our creative direction. Today, he is AFA’s Creative Director and has told so many award winning stories through his documentaries.
That Adirondacks trip didn’t just change athletes. It changed us all.
The Birth of AFA Storytelling
The documentary we filmed became Experience The Adirondacks, an award-winning film that still speaks to hearts today. (linked below to watch)
Twelve weeks later, we premiered the film out in nature surrounded by beautiful oak trees with over 100 people filling chairs. Parents, donors, friends, and strangers gathered to witness what we had all lived. And in one night, we raised over $100,000.
But the money wasn’t the point. The point was belief. For the first time, an audience beyond our small circle witnessed what happens when you raise expectations, meet athletes where they are, and restructure the way we teach so they too can dream big.
It was proof of what we knew deep down to be true: anything is possible for individuals with exceptionalities when given the foundation of belief, the right support, and the opportunity to choose a path of endless growth for themselves and their futures.
Riley. Jordan. Anthony. Josh. They started something in those mountains that week. A movement that is now making its way into people's hearts and belief systems.
A Team Forever Changed
Looking back, 2021 wasn’t just about programs. It wasn’t just about the first four athletes. It was about finding the essence of who we are as an organization.
We learned that storytelling isn’t just part of AFA. Storytelling is AFA. Because stories change perception. Stories shift culture. Stories open doors that statistics alone can’t.
The athletes gave us the greatest gift we could have asked for. They gave us self-belief. They showed us that we are worthy of leading this mission. They reminded us that we are enough. And they taught us the only way forward is to lead with love.
What’s Next
That year, AFA was born. A hat company (GTFO) came to a close, but a movement took its first steps. Four athletes became trailblazers. And a team was forged to inspire the endless potential within every exceptional individual, so they could show the world that they too are capable of contributing to our communities and the world.
But this was only the beginning. The following year, momentum grew. Families multiplied. Communities started taking notice. And the ripples of belief turned into waves.
2021 proved that when you have a gut intuition to start something, chase it, because anything is possible.
2022 would prove that this movement was unstoppable and taking bold risk would continue to be our compass to making an impact.
How This Story Speaks to AFA and Our Exceptional Athletes:
- We helped the world see that storytelling is the most powerful tool for shifting perceptions and culture. It’s a bridge to reflect, better understand, and find love for something we didn’t connect with prior.
- Shows that when given belief and opportunity, exceptional athletes redefine what’s possible. They lead the path. They do the perceived impossible.
- Highlights the impact of family, community, and creative vision in sparking a movement.
- Demonstrates how resilience and confidence grow through challenge, not avoidance.
- Reminds us that movements can begin with just a few who are willing to say yes. We are ALL full of so much love and when we lead with love we can all impact the world in such a beautiful way.
Donate to AFA and help us continue to trek a path towards endless opportunities and growth for all humans with exceptionalities.
PLEASE SHARE THIS BLOG WITH FRIENDS, FAMILY, OR ON SOCIAL TO HELP INSPIRE SOMEONES ENDLESS POTENTIAL.
EXPERIENCE THE ADIRONDACKS
The best way to understand what 2021 meant for AFA is to see it for yourself. Watch Experience The Adirondacks, the film that captured the first-ever AFA adventure and proved to the world that when you lead with belief, anything is possible.
“Adventure For All athletes Riley, Josh, Jordan, and Anthony fully explore the great outdoors during the Experience The Adirondacks expedition, proving that belief unlocks limitless potential.”
Watch the award-winning film that launched AFA’s storytelling movement and witness the journey of the original four athletes who redefined human potential.
Suggestion: For more inspiring documentaries visit our films page.
