{"id":44418,"date":"2019-03-04T18:53:42","date_gmt":"2019-03-05T02:53:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=44418"},"modified":"2019-04-24T08:44:46","modified_gmt":"2019-04-24T15:44:46","slug":"first-descents-helps-young-adults-impacted-by-cancer-find-healing-by-getting-outside","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/paddle\/first-descents-helps-young-adults-impacted-by-cancer-find-healing-by-getting-outside","title":{"rendered":"First Descents Helps Young Adults Impacted by Cancer Find Healing by Getting Outside"},"content":{"rendered":"

It doesn\u2019t matter how shallow the water is, most people don\u2019t want to fall in. And because it\u2019s pretty much everyone\u2019s first time on a stand up paddle board, they\u2019re looking at these floating 11-foot-long pieces of fiberglass with some suspicion. But as the group of 12 participants heads out onto the calm waters of Vancouver Lake, Washington, they\u2019re all smiles.<\/p>\n

Angie Lampe, today\u2019s First Descents alumni lead, is near the front. Having grown up in Iowa, Lampe is a long way from \u201chome,\u201d but here, surrounded by strangers, she\u2019s come to appreciate different definitions of the word. She seems at ease; grabbing her board and her paddle, she wades into the glassy lake like she\u2019s done it a thousand times before\u2014even though it\u2019s her first time too.<\/p>\n

\"Angie

Angie Lampe serves as the First Descents alumni lead during a trip on Vancouver Lake. (Photo Credit: Jason Hummel)<\/p><\/div>\n

First Descents<\/a>\u00a0 is a Denver-based nonprofit dedicated to providing life-changing outdoor adventures for young adults impacted by cancer. Recognizing the power of firsts, the organization aims to create those experiences in communities across the country. When you think about it, the outdoors is full of firsts, from someone\u2019s first overnight in the backcountry to their first time on the water. Even people with a wealth of outdoor experience may face things they\u2019ve never encountered\u2014moments that surprise them, test their resolve or teach them something new about themselves\u2014whenever they\u2019re outside. Because no matter where you are or what you\u2019re doing, firsts help us understand our limits and push past them.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The organization\u2019s focus on young adults, participants ages 18 to 39, might surprise some people. However, cancer is the fourth leading cause of death for people 20 to 39, behind accidents, suicide and homicide, according to the American Cancer Society<\/a> (ACS). Each year in the U.S., roughly 70,000 young<\/a> adults (ages 15 to 39) are diagnosed with cancer.<\/p>\n

Which unfortunately means cancer hits close to home for a lot of people. This year alone, an estimated 1.76 million new cases (for all ages) will be\u00a0diagnosed in the United States, according to the ACS<\/a>. So, it\u2019s not surprising that some folks at First Descents have personal reasons to be a part of the organization\u2014beginning with the founder, Brad Ludden. When he was 12, his then-38-year-old aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer. Ludden was an internationally recognized kayaker at that time, and he started volunteering for a local pediatric oncology program by teaching the participants like his aunt how to kayak. By the age of 18, Brad started working on an organization that would eventually be known as First Descents, founded in 2001.<\/p>\n

\"First

First Descents participants head out onto Vancouver Lake. (Photo Credit: Jason Hummel)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cFirst Descents has been a strong believer in the power of the outdoors\u2014in terms of the people you\u2019re with, the places you\u2019re going to and the activity you\u2019re doing together. The outdoors allows for individual growth, as well as community,\u201d said Mackenzie McGrath, director of programs at First Descents. McGrath, a seasoned rock and ice climber who recently completed a certificate program at Harvard University titled Global Mental Health: Trauma and Recovery, was first inspired to join First Descents in 2013, when her brother was diagnosed with stage IV esophageal cancer. \u201cHe and I were both avid outdoors persons. And I think [First Descents] was attractive to him because it was the only community where he could go out and not be defined by his illness. He wouldn\u2019t be judged by people. He\u2019d be widely accepted by those around him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because everyone\u2019s relationship with cancer is different, the team at First Descents curates its programming around everything from whitewater kayaking in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to an introduction to outdoor rock climbing class at an Oregon state park. Participants can get outside for the afternoon, nine straight days or something in between. Also, the organization offers opportunities for young adults currently in treatment or in remission, as well as some that are open to their caregivers and their plus-ones.<\/p>\n

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First Descents Programs<\/strong><\/h4>\n

First Descents offers three types of programs<\/a>:<\/p>\n