Troy Becker, AKA Mega-tron, is the founder and President of CRIS Adaptive Adventures as well as CRIS’s level-headed leader. The first thing you’ll probably notice when you meet Troy is the altitude at which he spends most of his time – he’s really big! But don’t let his stature intimidate you! Like any person, it’s difficult to learn much about Troy just by looking at him. By observing what he does you’ll soon see that Troy’s craggy exterior is just a camouflage for the big softy inside. His humanitarian nature shines through in his career as a firefighter as well as in his voluntary (sometimes money absorbing) job at CRIS. Once you experience a ‘Troy Hike’ that pushes your every limit, you may think that he is some sort of sadist… but when you conquer the mountain and witness the view from the summit, you will understand his motives and appreciate the grunt work that it takes to get there.

Bill Mah can be described in one word: supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! Day after day, Bill shows his caring side by remembering your hard times and asking how you’ve been since. He’s a plethora of knowledge and can recite any phone number that even the computer has lost. Bill is quite the jokester by cracking a joke from his huge arsenal of one liners! In any case, Bill adds the much needed dimension of steadfastness to our CRIS family. One can always depend on Bill for a cheery greeting and a good conversation; although that’s only when you can get a hold of him – often as not he always seems to be off for a coffee date or meeting with the Mayor. So if you’re in need of some solid human contact, Bill is a good guy to know.

Katie Johnston is our Executive Director who has many mystical powers! Somehow, funding for all our fun activities flows from her office; an office that is oddly serene for the amount of work that is accomplished in there. Katie has been a part of CRIS since 2007 evolving from Summer Student to Office Guru. Occasionally Katie breaks free from the CRIS office and can be found kayaking with the crew or spreading the word of the amazing opportunities at CRIS. She tends to disappear on weekends from time to time and returns with a ton of fishing and camping tales (think bears, beer and shotguns). Aside from her red-neck ways and being a ton of fun, Katie is a lighthearted, dedicated individual who is a pleasure to be around. Should you ever be in the CRIS office though, please don’t interrupt her until she takes a break – we need her to work her money making magic!

Kerri Henry, AKA Kerri (please notify us if come up with a nickname - it’s a bad situation), is a pretty fantastic person. Having worked for CRIS for three summers Kerri is familiar with the ins and outs of the organization. She can jump in to any given situation and with ninja-like efficiency: correct safety hazards, organize everybody, and make at least three friends. And that’s just the start of her good qualities! Kerri is also very polite in stressful situations – so you can be sure that she won’t make any faux-pas while you’re hanging off a cliff with her. Kerri has unfailing cheer every day, and used to hold a position as a telemarketer; so if you ever receive a call from the CRIS office that begins with “Sorry to bother you but…” you’ll know that you’re in for a conversation with a great individual.

Kurt Becker, AKA Grandpa, has been with CRIS Adaptive Adventures since its inception. He is a constant presence on Vernon trips and occasionally makes the trip out to Kelowna to do some ‘trail maintenance’ on hikes. Judging from the number of gashes Kurt gathers during these outings, we suspect that he is actually engaging bears in hand-to-hand combat. In any case, if you ask Kurt about his latest wound you’ll be sure to get an entertaining story in return! Kurt doesn’t just bear wrassel though; he is a very caring and patient individual who keeps CRIS going by emanating good will, fixing equipment, and training helpless summer students.

Ryan Jopling is possibly the most fun you’ll have on a CRIS hike (which is really saying something!). Originating from Manitoba, Ryan came to CRIS in 2007 bringing his smile, white cane, and endless repertoire of funny stories. His stockpile of tales has grown considerably during his stint at CRIS and you’ll probably stumble across a couple if you talk to him for a few minutes about the organization. Even if you don’t talk to him, you’ll probably overhear part of the ongoing hilarious battle that is Ryan and Kurt’s relationship. Besides his humor and friendly personality, Ryan’s other notable feature is his dedication to enable people with disabilities to get outdoors. By leading by example and by helping out on CRIS events, Ryan truly lives his belief that the great outdoors is the best place for everybody, and everybody deserves to get out into nature. A note though: if you are on a kayaking trip with Ryan DO NOT start a water fight with him unless you’d like to get soaked to the bone. He may not be able to see you all the time, but he’s still deadly with a water pump and paddle.

If there is one person at the CRIS office that you’ll come into contact with it will be Sandy Stoutenburg. And if there’s one person at the CRIS office that you would want to come into contact with it would be Sandy! The definition of a social butterfly, Sandy makes friends wherever she flies! Inside her first two months at CRIS, Sandy has transformed the way that we express our love to our volunteers. We went from a ‘thank-you’ at the end of our events to a barbeque-come-gala celebration complete with cards, gifts, volleyball and chocolate! Sandy has also donated her time as a Yoga instructor in order to raise funds for CRIS and stretch the kinks outta summer students (align your zen! Inquire at 250-979-3941). Initiatives aside, Sandy is a very complete and caring person and will probably be contacting you soon to talk about joining in on an adventure or update you on the latest news.

Buddy LeGrandeur-Becker has always got your back (provided you’re willing to get his with a rub – really though, Bud just laps up the affection). Indeed, working with Buddy is a big boneus. If you’ve ever got trouble, he’s all ears – one walks away with the feeling that he’s really herd you. Bud’s motto for life is “Lassie faire” so you may not elicit concrete advice. As far as CRIS outings are concerned, he’s an experienced pup with lots of tails to tell! Other than that, Bud is a really blue-collared dude and has a new leash on life!

... and more to come!