Lead Staff

Andrew Coulter

Andrew “Tops” grew up in the bustling metropolis of Weatherford, Texas, playing competitive soccer far far away from any national parks. But after a high school backpacking trip in Big Bend with his brother, he quickly realized outside was the place to be. He spent his college years sneaking out to Big Bend every chance he got, and after biking to Alaska with Texas 4000, moved to Colorado. There he worked at FDHQ for nearly a decade, running the Out Living It Project and then later managing Community Adventures … all while fitting in as many ski, bike, run, and paddle adventures as possible. Now he calls a small sheep farm in Western Mass home as he tackles his next adventure: a career move to nursing.

Ashlee Moskwa

"Rainier"

Born and raised in small town New England, Ashlee (aka Rainier), the youngest of three siblings, spent most of her childhood bouncing between the soccer field, basketball court, and ice rink. Cancer first entered her life as a freshman in high school, challenging her personal dreams and ambitions and introducing her to the world of medicine. Following Rainier’s graduation from nursing school, an immense desire for adventure motivated her to drive 3300 miles cross country to start a career in Seattle as a pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Stem Cell Transplant nurse.  The beautiful state of Washington – complete with rivers, lakes, mountains, volcanoes and the like – enabled Rainier to develop a deep appreciation for the great outdoors.

After learning of First Descents by way of a magazine article, Rainier volunteered as medical staff for her first program in 2011. It took just one week climbing in the Rockies with First Descents to fall head-over-heels in love with all that is FD. Currently a full time pediatric nurse at The Children’s Hospital of Colorado, Rainier will be returning for yet another laughter-filled summer as Lead Staff. Forever an outdoor enthusiast and camp nurse at heart, Rainier spends her free time rock climbing, kayaking, volunteering, and preparing for life’s next great adventure ☺ 

Becky Sail

"Totes"

I was diagnosed with an extremely rare pelvic sarcoma at the age of 22. Several years into my cancer journey I went on my first FD trip rock climbing in Colorado (something I had never done before). The trip was life changing and opened up a whole new way of living for me. I went on to travel to Thailand and Ireland as a participant, and served as a general support volunteer on several programs.

My involvement ultimately led me to a lead staff position and I couldn’t be more grateful to pay the “FD magic” forward. I feel at peace and at home in the outdoors, and can relate to being scared out of my mind on the side of a cliff, or headed into a rapid. But oh boy…that feeling on the other side. When I’m not spending time with amazing humans on FD trips, you’ll find me in a yoga or spin class, hanging with my adorable nephews, finding a new hike in New England, or doing my day job in corporate communications and marketing.

Jason Prezant

"Vista"

I didn’t find my way to outdoor recreation until I found an indoor climbing gym in college. Better late than never! Climbing has been a big part of my life for the past 20 years, and over that time I’ve also become pretty keen on hiking, paragliding, and surfing. Those passions have taken me to beautiful outdoor spaces all over the world. When I’m not exploring the great outdoors, I’m working as a photographer and cinematographer in the Philadelphia area.

When I was 16, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Coincidentally that was the same year that First Descents was founded, but I wouldn’t discover its magic until 15 years later. It was in 2017 that I was lucky enough to experience an FD1 and spend an amazing week surfing with truly incredible people. After that, I knew that I wanted to get involved with FD however I could, and now here I am just a few years later, a part of one of the most special organizations I could ever imagine.

Jim Dickey

"Rut-Roh"

I originally never grew up in New England, a place that will always be dear to me; the Hermit Thrush is my favorite soundtrack. Luckily, I discovered this little bird is also out west, so I can bounce back and forth and never lose my tunes. Google it and listen for it.  The YouTube by Lang Elliot is great.

People think I like kayaking, skiing, surfing, and climbing. I actually prefer rivers, snow, oceans, and mountains; the games just provide the necessary tools and skills to immerse. People think I’ve been a camp counselor, climbing guide, Outward Bound instructor, photographer, river guide, catski guide…I just like being outside with people.

Big C bites. Let’s get outside!

JJ Simms

"Scrambler"

JJ grew up in the flatlands of Ohio; despite being bound by a city, she always found the nooks of ravines & forests nearby to explore. Moving out west allowed expansive exploration of the greater peaks & valleys, canyons & rivers of this land. Pursuing the passion of exploring more outdoor spaces in combination with sharing & leading others in these powerful experiences paved the way for JJ’s professional path. Since 2010 she has continuously worked for various organizations leading multi-day hiking and backpacking trips through many landscapes. At 26, a diagnosis of Stage 3 Melanoma cancer created an unforeseen obstacle course of struggles through health, identity, career, and relationship. She found reconnection to body & ability through a First Descents kayaking program. Now as Lead Staff, First Descents is the path of a lifetime connecting people with the rhythms & wonders of nature while in good company with others who have also struggled with life’s obstacle courses.

Kara Gehan

"Hermione"

Kara (“Hermione”) grew up on the East Coast before making her way to Colorado, where she fell further in love with the outdoors and the First Descents community. After experiencing a program as a participant, she came back as a volunteer and is now thrilled to step into a Lead Staff role.

Hermione is happiest on the water, which has led to the slightly questionable life choice of learning to surf while living in a landlocked state, including attempts at river surfing. When she is not chasing waves, you can find her at CrossFit, training for triathlons, encouraging her two kids’ love of adventure, or getting a little too competitive about her fantasy football lineup.

Karen Van Cleef

"Merlin"

Karen “Merlin” lives on a blueberry farm in Massachusetts.  She may be spotted paddling down a river, climbing up big rocks or bopping around on trails. Merlin spent years of her career leading adventures for kids impacted by cancer and other serious illnesses, before pivoting indoors to work in emergency medicine and palliative care as a child life specialist.

Merl loves her permanent position as a mom and lately enjoys teaching art and wood carving to high schoolers … so her summers are free to work FD!

Merlin lives with this “friend” named multiple sclerosis.  MS follows her everywhere and is sometimes telling her to slow down but Merlin refuses to listen. She was first introduced to FD through a climbing program in Colorado. Since then she’s been hooked on the FD magic.

Let’s sit in a sunny spot on a rock, float quietly down a river or catch a party wave together to remind ourselves our bodies ARE still working and time spent in wild places is profoundly healing.

Logan Piz

"Dino"

A crazy sendy skier, a social work sensei, and a below average dancer, all walk into a bar…  

Bartender says… hey Dino.. table for one?! 

(All the people are just me )

As a wild child of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, I was raised on fresh mountain air, juice boxes, and exploration. Backpacking, skiing, climbing, mountain biking and simply living in the dirt with the worms, are just some of the activities that I continue to love and push myself with! 

Currently, I am on a lifelong mission to inspire myself and others to “live deeper”.  In the pursuit of this mission I’ve been able to do some pretty rad things! In the last 5 years, I’ve lived in beautiful New Zealand, backpacked through the Alps of Europe, and explored most of the western U.S. 

In my passion for mental health counseling and advocacy, I received a degree in Social Work from Colorado State University. I’ve had the pleasure of working for many nonprofits including, Make A Wish and Hope Lives Breast Cancer Center. Over the last few years, I have been living in Salt Lake City, Utah! Here, I continue to pursue the impacts of adventure’s healing power in my work as a Wilderness Therapy Guide and through my current job as a ski and snowboard instructor for the National Ability Center, making the magic of outdoor sports accessible to all abilities! 

I am a member of the Cancer Community and I have seen firsthand the power that hopes and community can bring to individuals. Nothing makes me smile more than living deeper with our First Descents family!

Lydia Comart

"Regal Tang"

Lydia “Tang” is a lifelong lover of community and the color orange. She is obsessed with creating spaces for connection, and loves spending time with the amazing humans who take part in FD programs. She says: Let’s find some beauty, explore the limits of our comfort zones, and discover small delights together!

When she’s not on program, Tang is probably romping around in the mountains with close friends or lying on the couch trying to convince both of her cats to snuggle with her at the same time. She has worked as a climbing and outdor guide since 2017, and currently resides in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Maggie Johnson

"Rad Lobstah"

Having grown up rock climbing, sailing, and running around barefoot on the Maine coast, I was obsessed with the outdoors from day one. After graduating from Oberlin College in 2018, I moved to California to run outdoor education programming across the state, where I was fulfilling a dream to explore the natural world with young people who might just get hooked on being outside themselves. 

In April 2022, my life took a sudden turn when I was diagnosed with a rare germ cell cancer while on a road trip. After months of treatment in hospitals, I was hungry for adventure, community, and purpose, and was able to join a young adult cancer survivorship program later that year.

Cancer and cancer treatment tried so hard to shrink my confidence and challenge the way that I had come to see and know myself, and it was adventure, laughter, and community that ushered me into a new era of growth, self-discovery, and self-love.

Today, it is my dream to invite cancer survivors to connect with themselves, each other, and their surroundings. Being outside trying new things with fun new friends is one of my favorite activities, and I am honored to be a part of the incredible FD team! When I am not on FD trips, I can be found Out Living It as a bike mechanic and cycle guide, being sure to chase adventure wherever it takes me.

Michael Kerbyson

"Kerby"

Aloha! I am a lifelong Californian, and the ocean has always been my home. I live in Santa Cruz with my four-legged sidekick “Big.” We play, eat, camp, surf, groove, paddle, mountain bike, and chase a hell of a lot of Frisbees on the beach.

My professional field includes public health, safety, and education, but my true passions are playing outdoors, breathing the fresh air, and encouraging others to experience the wonder and healing power of nature.

Fate led me to First Descents in 2008, and after ten years of volunteering as medical staff, I am honored to become a member of the very talented Lead Staff. I am looking forward to leaning in for the laughs, the love, and spreading the “FD magic” with this amazing community of inspiring individuals.

Nader Jamal

"Mogul"

After living his entire life in New York State, Nader “Mogul” Jamal chose to accept a job as a ski instructor in Vail, Colorado shortly after finishing treatment for Stage III Colon cancer. One season soon became both a career and lifestyle and after a few years living in Colorado, Mogul embarked on his first FD experience as a participant on a kayak trip. His love of whitewater was evident on the first day and the connections made with other like-minded people has made a tremendous impact on various internal and external aspects of his life. Mogul still works as a full time ski and snowboard instructor during the winter and when he’s not with FD he spends his summers guiding multi day whitewater raft and stand up paddle board trips on the Yampa and Green rivers in Dinosaur National Monument.

Pete Blau

Pete’s introduction to working in the outdoors started with embracing the fight-or-flight sensation too often while engaging with adjudicated youth in the wilderness for extended periods of time. Feeling like his nervous system was tired of being stressed, he pivoted over to leading monthlong trips for (mostly happy) school students in Yosemite and Death Valley.

Outdoor education was his jam for a long time, as it gave him the chance to avoid his fear of a 9-to-5 job in a cubicle. Other work in the past included carrying too many heavy backpacks while guiding clients in Nepal and the Western U.S. Through this engaged work in the outdoors, he became curious about the effect of nature on one’s psyche, so he pursued a master’s in ecopsychology and human development and sought out a nature-connected life coaching certification to add to the mix.

These days he leans more toward the healing arts path and trying to get weirder (weird means wise) as time goes on. He started Metolius Basin Institute to help humans become their true selves and live the life they are meant to live through discovering their purpose and bringing forth their gifts. He still chases powder days, and opportunities to goof off and adventure in the wild. He’s always looking for a balance in life, so ski patrol gives him the chance to balance some of those goals while engaging in the deeper work on and off the slopes.

Regina Meckes

"Chiqui"

Sara Connell

"Postal"

Growing up on the West Coast of Florida, I did not have any true river or wilderness experience until I found the healing power of adventure with First Descents as an oncology participant in 2012. I didn’t know it then, but that experience would re-shape my life by inspiring me to make mental health the focus of my career. I chased every opportunity I could find to stay involved with the mission of FD and joined the Lead Staff team in 2019.

I followed my heart and the sound of whitewater to the Rogue River Valley of Southern Oregon in 2023. These days you can find me growing my kayaking and rafting skills, learning to garden and flow with the seasons, and scheduling life around as many downriver trips as I possibly can. When I’m not Out Living It, I am being wonderfully challenged (and often humbled) in my work as a therapist with kids and young adults.

The “work” I do with First Descents is truly the honor of my life. I could not be prouder to be a member of this team and to get to play and grow alongside such an epic group of humans. There is an untouchable joy I feel each time I sit down to a delicious FD meal (thank you chefs!!!), am surrounded by laughter and memories from the day, and can tune in to the overwhelming mixture of exhaustion and peace that comes from wholeheartedly adventuring with my FD community.

Willie Kern

"Sweet D"

Willie (aka Sweet D) was raised in northern New England and beyond as a skier, a boater, a biker, and ultimately a lover of all things wild. He is a self-proclaimed river runner respected by generations of paddlers who is also recognized internationally as a voice of conservation, communication and safety on the river.

Over the last two and a half decades, he has assembled a portfolio of kayak descents from the Americas to Asia and often on first descents of the worlds most technically and logistically challenging runs. For some, most notably he was a member of the expedition that became the first to run the legendary “Upper Gorges” of the Great Bend of the Yarlung Tsangpo.

In addition to becoming one of the foremost expedition paddlers, Willie has also worked developing eco-tourism and guide training programs in Asia for over a decade. He has worked on both sides of the lens for several adventure documentaries. And throughout, he has taught and coached with a host of accredited experiential, alternative and outdoor educational programs. Willie speaks publicly in favor of the protection of cultural and natural heritage and he has guided on and around rivers for as long as he can remember.