In continuation of our mentorship series, highlighting (in their own words) some of the professionals who we have worked with over the years, we are excited about this one! For Mentorship Series (part 5) we would like to introduce Kristina Riggs. Read her story here:

I was first introduced to challenge course field as a participant in 8th grade as part of a class. The highlight of that class was spending three days at the high school’s ropes course pushing ourselves to our personal bests (also the name of the class). I enjoyed it enough to ask my parents to send me to SOAR summer camp the next summer that was presented by the high school at the same course. An extra perk and in to the program was my older sister who was a summer facilitator. That summer I got to see high schoolers doing amazing stuff (facilitating) and I knew I wanted to be like them one day.

The next year I arrived at that same high school. Overall, it had a very unique Adventure program. Over a semester participants would progress through an adventure learning cycle – icebreakers, initiatives, low elements, higher risk lows, belay school, highs, and culminating in Zipline send off. The program was based in teachings and methods, I now know, of Project Adventure and Adventure Experiences teachings. The introduction course, Adventure, was led by upperclassman who had gone through the other stages of the program but where the primary teacher, with an adult teacher oversight. I knew I wanted to get into their position just like what I saw at SOAR summer camp, it looked like a lot of fun and they got to do cool work. Stage 2 in the program is Adventure Leadership Training where students learn all the skills of facilitation. I now think of it as similar to a level 1 and parts of level 2 training. Stage 3 was going back to stage 1 but now as an adventure leader. To take this last stage class you had to be selected. When in Stage 2, I met Cindy Wittebort “Witt” who was director of the program. She was my teacher for one of my adventure classes in my first year and many after. I still remember walking into her office my first semester after I had a rough class. She asked how it went and I said something like “they aren’t doing what I want them to do,” her response of “so, does it matter” or the like made me pause. I wanted the answer to be yes, but the real answer is they did exactly what they needed to do. She always took the time to listen and to lead us in inquiry to discover on our own the possible answers. Her go-to phrase became “I don’t know, what do you think?” which was infuriating at times and in retrospect, exactly the mentorship I needed. I am proud to call “Witt” a friend and mentor today almost 20 years later. She has been a listening ear for many of my life adventures, changes and been an immense help as I navigated my professional path. While she wasn’t in the field the same was many of us are she made an effort to support my growth, connect me with other professionals she had met or was introduced to. She advocated for me.

I knew after my first Adventure Leader class that this field was for me. Nothing else brought me the energy, connection, and purposeful hard work that also brought me joy. My grades would say that I was not a good student. But I tried, hard, tests were the devil and beat me down, I couldn’t memorize, read, or perform like other kids. But when I was able to experientially engage with my learning I flourished. Unfortunately, experiential learning was a fraction of the methods used in my school years. Adventure class showed me light, a career possibility and a passion I wanted to pursue. When the time came I headed off to college, University of Idaho to be exact, where there was talks about funding to build a ropes course and I had made some connections through cold calls, to work for Outdoor Rec Climbing Center and help them build a procedures manual after the course was built. Unfortunately, the course was never built but the Recreation degree program brought me to meet Mike Kinziger. Mike was the teacher for a lot of my recreation classes from group games to expedition planning to white water canoeing. He exploded with energy and excitement for his teaching and the content he had to teach. I think the only time I saw his energy drop

was when we had to discuss budget and research. He wanted his hands doing it. Not knowing how to get more involved in the challenge course industry or the career path I spoke with Mike often on how to put what I was learning into practice, into the industry I wanted to be in. He advocated and supported this passion and challenged me to find connections in the content and build projects with the industry alignment I was reaching for. He has continued to always be someone I can pick up the phone and call and even if you leave a message while he’s on a solo camping trip in his 70’s he will be sure to give you a call when he gets back to catch up and help however he can. A priceless connection I am grateful for.

I mentioned I didn’t have a plan for this industry, I just wanted to figure out how to work in it. I wanted to have a part in the impact on others. I knew early this was my future but figuring out the career path was blurry and the recommended camp path didn’t feel like the right way to go, at least for me. To complete my degree I had to do an internship, so I went to ACCT’s website and started calling PVM’s, cold calling, to see who might take an intern. Surprisingly, it didn’t take long and Adventure Experiences picked me up. After classes finished up packed up and drove down to Texas to join their team for three months. I had a room to stay in at someone’s house and would meet them when they returned from training. Little did I know, this home owner would be AdventureCareers own Micah Henderson. Under Micah’s guidance I learned the method to the madness of training, paperwork, travel, and more. I was also fortunate to be there, when the guidance came down from ACCT about Certification Levels. I got to be on the team to review the standards and pair up what we had already and identify gaps. I helped write observations tools, tests, and edit manuals. I even got to help present the first level 2 and CCM under the guidance. This…was…cool! I learned so much in my three months there but not without challenges.

After that summer I jumped back into education to answer a new big question I had carried with me “why does this stuff work.” While there are publications out there to gain this information, as an experiential learner I needed hands on and I headed to Minnesota State University, Mankato for a Master’s in Experiential Education. It was the hardest two years of education but immensely fulfilling. I worked at the ropes course as well as a personal health aide to pay for school and to get a break from all the reading. In 2010, I graduated and headed back to Colorado. It was in this time block I was a little lost. I didn’t know what was next step and didn’t think I had the connections needed. I did some side work for Adventure Experiences in the summers of graduate school and a little after coming back to Colorado. I had a toe in the field a little but had drifted away not knowing where to go from there. Through my high school mentor, “Witt”, I took over the Life Time Fitness Climbing Center from her. Shortly after I added kids activities coordinator and later assistance director of kids activities. But working with younger kids wasn’t my passion and I called up Michelle Cummings of Training Wheels to catch up. I had met Michelle during high school when I did a student presentation at what was known as NCCPS run by Tom Leahy. Michelle had figured it out, so I wanted to know how. Little did I know a few months later I had coffee with her and shared I wanted to leave Life Time to get back in career field but not knowing where to look… and she offered me a job, working for her!

Three years I worked for Training Wheels, learning the back end of training, gear development, and customer relations as well as facilitating programs and trainings. Life then took me in a different direction again away from adventure to hospitality, restaurants as server and bartender, and living in more places in the US than ever before. That time was scattered, but not without learning. In 2016 I was living on the Oregon coast with a strong urge to get back to this work. I connected with Synergo, who I had met when attending an ACCT conference as a Yellow Hat. I inquired about contract work and found myself quickly brought in for staff training. While I didn’t work on many programs, this got me an connected to an opportunity near where I was living on the Oregon coast. They were building an adventure park and helping the organization develop an eco-adventure program. The Marter’s (Jennifer and Erik) called me up and I soon joined the team. Again, learning how to build things from standards, best practices, and industry leaders.

In 2018 this project came to an end and I answered a very random LinkedIn direct message that inquired if I would apply for a job back in Colorado. The company was in Aerospace Engineering industry, definitely not your normal

challenge course program, but they had won a government contract and were charged with finding the right person for the position. They didn’t know a ton about Challenge Courses but my knowledge and experience elevated my chances. I had never been “head hunted” before but life circumstances had me take a chance. That application turned into an interview and job offer within 24 hours and starting a position at the Air Force Academy only two weeks later.

As that quick turn occurred, I reached out to many of my past mentors, Witt, Mike, and others. They listened, providing inquiry, support, and in some cases guidance. I knew however long it had been they were there ready to listen. I took this job and came home to Colorado for the 3rd time. Those mentors, my connections, my passion, my willingness to cold call or take a chance brought me an opportunity I didn’t even know existed. Since then I have had the opportunity to get more involved with ACCT as member and ad volunteer. Connecting more with other professionals. Reconnecting with Micah Henderson and meeting Michelle Hepler through committee work. Both connections have added even more depth to my development even 20 years into this work.

Looking back what helped me most was asking questions, leading with inquiry to understand the industry and showing that I was willing to put in the effort and do the work. This industry isn’t always easy and if you are driven you will go further. Things happened when I took the scary step to call, email or walk up to someone at a conference and say, “I want to do X, how do I do that.” Just by asking you may be surprised at what happens next.