JOIN US FOR A 2025 HEALING ADVENTURE!
Meet Becky “Totes” Sail, a lead staffer since 2020. At 22, Totes was diagnosed with an extremely rare pelvic sarcoma, and a few years into her cancer journey, she joined the First Descents community on a life-changing rock climbing program in Colorado. Post-program, she was eager to stay involved, so she spent a few years as a dedicated general support volunteer on our programs. Totes is now an important team member, joining us seasonally to lead our weeklong programs with enthusiasm and dedication. Originally from Upstate New York, she calls Boston home and spends her free time exploring hiking trails across New England.
Anything near water. I love walking on a beach and hearing the calming sound of the ocean or being on a river and listening to the rapids and feeling so at peace.
It’s such a nice counterbalance to my corporate job/spending most of my life in an office. Being in nature with amazing humans really helps ground me. It also is such a great feeling to walk away from a program and confidently say that I helped change lives. FD gave me that gift as a participant several times, and to be able to pay it forward is pretty indescribable.
Gosh, so so many. One that stands out is from a participant nicknamed Small World. I was having a mealtime conversation with her about how she used to live in China and speaks Cantonese (or a similar dialect — I can’t remember), but she was saying she was insecure about speaking it since her surgery because her tongue cancer had changed her speech. I told her that I’m sure it would come back to her and people would understand her. At the takeout from the river the very next day in the middle of nowhere in Oregon, there was an Asian couple. The couple was very excited to see us, but didn’t speak English. Small World paddled over and started having a conversation with them in their language, and they understood each other very well. She told them all about why we were there, and the couple said they were so happy to meet all of us. It was such a surreal moment to watch Small World speak confidently. What were the chances? Nature and the universe is powerful! And her nickname is Small World!
I love quotes. I collect them in an album on my phone and give out little quote cards to participants on programs or when I mail a card to friends or family.
Exercise and moving my body.
My German grandmother (who has passed away and always defended me:) ), Young Pueblo (Diego Perez), Shawn Johnson
Really want to go to Greece — for the beauty and the culture. Also always dream of going somewhere like Tahiti and staying in one of those huts on the water.