Ground Team
BEN RADEMACHER, AMGA Guide.
The mountains were not introduced to me until I was nineteen, a young man getting stationed away from home for the first time. The military was an eye opening experience for me and I needed it. Coming from Wisconsin, the mountains of the West were nothing I had seen before. I was stationed in San Diego and Washington which led me to explore their vast landscapes. I started going back to school but I was still left not knowing what I really wanted to do next. That’s where climbing and the mountains came in.
Right before getting out, I bought a pair of climbing shoes and a chalk bag and I’ve been climbing ever since. It was a way for me to relieve stress and to be completely in the moment. It was like meditation. It helped with school and the rest of my daily life.
I love the feeling you get when you’re submerged in nature in its purest form and you’re attempting to somehow connect with it in such a way that you become a part of it. Every hold, every step you take, you are connected. I’ve found such a passion for this and I want to share it with others. Crux has opened an incredible gateway to allow Veterans to find a deeper connection and find focus in their lives.
LUKE STRICEVIC, AMGA Guide, Co-Founder.
After serving four years in the Marine Corps, like many others, I struggled with transitioning from military life. I desperately looked for something to give my life meaning and purpose outside my military service. I wanted to continue to challenge myself mentally and physically.
I was introduced to rock climbing while living in Mammoth Lakes, California, by an old salty ski instructor that I worked with on the mountain. He brought me to a small crag in Mammoth, showed me a few knots, tied me in and I was on my first rock climb. From that moment I was hooked. I had found what I was looking for.
Climbing became an activity that I could wrap my identity around, to live out the adventures I so desperately sought after. A platform that I could use for expression and become more aware of myself. Climbing doesn’t pretend to be anything important, in the “real world.” However, the ones that partake in the endeavor are rewarded with a feeling of self awareness and accomplishment like nothing else.
I truly believe in the healing power of the outdoors and I’m excited to have the opportunity to be a part of the Crux team and introduce people to the mountains that I hold so dear.
ALEX JOHNSON, AMGA Guide.
As much as the Military has given me knowledge and life experience it took its toll on my mental wellbeing. Most of my career I struggled to find a balance with my work and personal life. I felt that I wasn't getting the necessary recharge needed to handle the job. I started learning how to climb from an old friend and fell in love with it immediately. It started giving me that passion outside of the job that I craved, and it helped relieve that daily grind many of us experience while serving.
Going to Crux’s first event was huge for me. I found people who were like-minded but also very accepting of anyone who was interested in the stoke of climbing. The clinics alone bridged a gap in knowledge that would have taken me years to get too. Having the ability to ask questions while having hands-on learning with experienced guides is invaluable. Working for Crux now as one of their guides is everything I could have hoped for, and I am excited to pass this on to more people.
As a Military member I can say that nothing has brought the same joy and sense of purpose as climbing. The experience of hanging from a rope a few hundred feet off the ground with a good friend, in a place that most people won't ever see is life changing!
Board of Directors
Dana O’Neill Stricevic
Co-Founder and CEO
Tanner Wanish, U.S. Navy Seal Veteran
Vice President
Kyle Warden
Treasurer
Terrence Knock, U.S. Air Force Veteran
Secretary
Olivia Morrell, U.S. Navy
Fundraising Chair