Alex Accetta is a lifelong Coloradan – Denver at age five and Durango forever. Colorado got into his blood early, when at seven his dad introduced him to John Denver during a visit to Aspen, and at nine he and his mom climbed Longs Peak. He spent years running on the trails of the Southwest, bonked while trying to ride Kennebec Pass on a hard-tail, and later coached running at both Durango High School and Fort Lewis College.

A Stanford grad, Alex has spent his career building community through recreation and well-being. In Portland, where he and his wife raised their two kids, Alex helped lead campus life and campus recreation at Portland State – he even got to build two rock walls – and eventually got his doctorate while serving as Assistant Vice President for Campus Life Services. Between muddy cyclocross seasons, adventures in the Northwest, and chaperoning the ski bus to Mt. Hood Meadows, he also served as President of Adaptive Sports Northwest and twice on the NIRSA-Leaders in Collegiate Recreation Board.

After six years at Stanford as Executive Director of Recreation and Wellness, Alex has landed back home in Golden, Colorado. He recently merged his adaptive sports knowledge and love for being outdoors to help his dad, a cancer thriver, get back to his love for playing golf. Alex has found joy and learning through travel, with journeys to Ghana, Peru, a 20th wedding anniversary trip to the Dolomites, and most recently to Japan, where he partnered with Kyushu Sangyo University and skied in Hokkaido.

While he was seeking his next life adventure, he found himself right back where much of his outdoor passion started: teaching ski lessons at Eldora. After helping young adults his whole life, Alex considers being a part of First Descents a dream chance to further help people rediscover themselves through the power of outdoor adventure.