2021 was the year we built momentum through storytelling. & those stories are still being written.
On January 1, I officially launched Adventure For All with my good friend Sean Pfalzgraf (now our CFO and AI product implementer). I didn’t have a budget, a big team, or even a guarantee that anyone would believe in the vision. But I had four incredible families who said yes to shattering the ceilings attached to their children. Riley, Josh, Jordan, & Anthony became the first ever AFA adventure athletes.
It felt as though everyone we spoke with (foundations, doctors, etc) doubted if teaching these individuals how to independently bike, kayak, hike, & overcome a list of challenges could be done. To be fair the statistics were stacked against us. Only 14% of individuals with exceptionalities ride a two-wheel bike. & on top of that, there were no supporting numbers for summiting mountains or kayaking rivers. When it came to independence, those statistics were also shocking, 82% unemployment & 86% dependent living. But as a deep believer in “Nothing is impossible” I know numbers never tell the full story. People & the will to accomplish greatness does.
For over 4 months, we trained every week teaching biking, kayaking, hiking, goal setting, & more. Most people I met loved the passion, but not many believed in the outcome we were striving for, not because they didn’t want to, but because they had never witnessed it before. Only one out of 10 foundations said yes to supporting this theory & the rest, I funded from a credit card and my savings. Worst case? I am out some money (it’s just money after all) & these four individuals & their families get to experience an unforgettable adventure. Best case? We’d give opportunities to reflect on perspectives, invite belief into our hearts, and spark a movement that could change the world.
So I stopped trying to convince people & committed to investing all my efforts into these exceptional individuals, so they could show them. Afterall, it’s their path to walk and their opportunity to show the world that their potential has no ceiling.
I remember around month two, something shifted in each athlete. Athletes were communicating more. They had become best friends that would intentionally support one another during difficult challenges. The resilience, confidence, & self-belief they were building, it was real, but how can I help everyone witness this?
I called Morgan Alley, a dear friend & now the Creative Director for AFA, & we agreed that shooting a documentary film was our all or nothing chance to show the world how capable these exceptional individuals are when given opportunities in life to set goals, overcome challenges, & earn that sense of achievement.
Fast forward to the week-long adventure in the Adirondack mountains: when those athletes rode their bike, camped out overnight, & stood on mountain summits, everything changed. For them. For their families. For all of us. They showed the world what a belief system can unlock within them and how this journey is one that brings healing to everyone involved.
12 weeks after this life changing adventure the four athlete’s & their families helped us host a film premiere for ‘Experience The Adirondacks’, the documentary of their incredible journey. Over 100 people came & in one night, we raised over $100,000. But this is bigger than donations: it was the beginning of a new perception & belief in these individuals & their endless potential.
That’s when we realized something powerful: storytelling isn’t a part of AFA, it is AFA. & in 2021, our story began, GTFO’s story came to an end, and I was given the greatest gift these exceptional individuals could have ever given me, self belief. They showed me that I am worthy, I am more than enough, and that leading with love is the answer. This is a lesson that became the very essence of AFA and still to this day we get to give that belief to everyone involved in the journey. Healing and growth comes to the parents, to our team, to volunteers, to the athletes and to everyone that is a part of it with us!
Suggestion: If you haven’t had the opportunity to watch ‘Experience The Adirondacks’ the documentary that ignited AFA or ‘BAAR’ an award winning film of a young man with Down syndrome overcoming all odds, then I suggest visiting our films page.
