My Dad, Sven, aka Svengali – introduced me to the Grand Canyon in my early teens with crazy hiking adventures. When I graduated from ASU, we went RAFTING with OARS down the Grand Canyon from Lee’s to the Lake. The power of the river, the amazing relationships and shared experiences kept bringing us back. Dad, started at 60, rowing a baggage boat and me -working as the assistant every summer vacation. While we hadn’t grown up on the river, we managed through the mighty Colorado and her rapids. My Dad had an Angel in the boat with him – infamous for getting stuck in the nasty eddies, running Hermit backwards, and Bedrock mostly left and sometimes having an “out of boat” experience. Honestly, he didn’t know how to row but he powered through. He always LOVED every second, doing it with a smile on his face. He was up before all the guides, cleaning the fire pan, picking up and smashing the aluminum cans, volunteering for groover duty and making coffee even though it wasn’t his shift. I have learned so much on those trips from being with my Dad about hard work and being in the moment.
Now with over 25 trips under my belt and having rowed my first commercial baggage boat down the entire river at the age of 40, I so look forward to summertime vacation. It sounds corny, but Mama River cleanses and extracts the toxin from my soul and makes me a better person. Having worked in the corporate sports and entertainment world for almost 30 years – I push a lot of paper and live in a different world. But the Colorado River and Grand Canyon are always there for me no matter what.
I was recently elected to the Board of Directors for the Grand Canyon Association. One of the questions asked in the process was “Why did you choose the Grand Canyon Association to serve?” My answer is simple, the Canyon and the Colorado River have given so much to me between the experiences and the people. As constant as my family, river trips have been me through the death of a spouse, a divorce, job changes, and have always been the rock that keeps me grounded. Now as I get older, I may not be able to do river trips much longer – and I want to give back to the place that has given me so much lifetime love. My Father can no longer do trips as he battles with Parkinson’s but now he lives through my adventures and remembering his.