Adventure for Someone: Getting More Youth Outside
Written by Rachel Brackins
Photos courtesy of Yvonne Rivera (@itsyvonne)
In 2014, at the age of 56, Yvonne completed her first major outdoor adventure — climbing Mt. Hood with Big City Mountaineers (BCM). A trip full of firsts, like wielding an ice ax and successfully using crampons, proved to be just the spark she needed to find her strength.
“What I learned on that trip was that once you realize you can do something challenging, you recognize the limits you put on yourself and that you are capable of exceeding those limits. It made me want to do more.”
Needless to say, she’s been crushing ever since. Since summiting Mt. Hood, Yvonne’s enthusiasm for the outdoors and her passion for empowering youth has found a home with Adventure for Someone. She’s planned multiple trips and used them as a way to raise funds to further BCM’s mission and help students gain access to the outdoors.
“I waited half my life to experience what the world has to offer, and I know that if young people can get a similar experience sooner than I did, they will strive for more. They’ll see the world as a place for them to go out and do great things, whether it’s climbing a mountain or fighting for social justice.”
She’s hiked and backpacked all across the globe, taking photos and collecting memories along the way. Once, in Peru, she found herself on a glacier watching a rancher with his small herd of llamas and alpacas. The perfect mountains in the background, the serenity of the scene and the overwhelming beauty caught her by surprise. According to Yvonne, that experience solidified her desire for young people to experience this Earth in as many ways as possible.
Each donor who supports her adventure receives a photo-filled thank you card in the mail at the end of each trip. A sort of meditation ritual, she creates these cards as a way to share what she saw and remind supporters of the larger goal behind the trip.
“I love Big City Mountaineers’ mission – getting young people outdoors so they can experience what I waited half my life to do.”
Learn more about creating your own Adventure for Someone.