Meet the Crew: Sara
Welcome to our meet the crew series! We’ve been expanding a lot over the past couple of months and wanted to take some time to introduce ourselves again. This blog series will be a quick introduction to all of the faces you’ll see at our events, trips, and around the Beyond Boundaries office.
Sara is our new Internal Operations coordinator. She had the privilege of first working with BB in the summer of 2021 through RVA Paddlesports, where she helped coordinate kayaking and rafting adventures.
1. What do you go by? Sara.
2. What are your pronouns? She/Her.
3. How old are you? 26.
4. Where did you go to college? UVA.
5. Where did you grow up? A combination of Charlottesville, Vancouver, and Toronto - my favorite thing about all of those places was how beautiful their outdoor spaces were!
Charlottesville: obviously the Blue Ridge Mountains
Vancouver: the Pacific Ocean & the forests
Toronto: surprisingly they have a humongous, gorgeous park on Toronto Island (and no cars!). It’s stunning in the winter when there’s snow everywhere, and you can go ice skating at an outdoor rink along Lake Ontario!
6. Favorite outdoor activity? TOUGH question… probably snorkeling though, provided I have a suitable wetsuit!
7. What's your guilty pleasure? Love Island UK. Got hooked on it when my partner and I were living in Ireland and now we just watch it for the nostalgia and the accents :)
8. Favorite type of BB trip? Flatwater Kayaking and SUP
9. Favorite band? He’s more of a one-man-band, but I love Billy Joel
10. Favorite food? Thai (specifically Mom’s Siam in Richmond - I could honestly eat there every day)
11. How did you get involved with BB? I collaborated with them on a number of summer trips when I worked as Operations Manager for RVA Paddlesports. My first ever BB trip was the Adventure is for Everyone Summer Camp on kayaking and SUP day, and I was immediately in love with the work that they were doing.
12. Why does BB's mission resonate with you? I come from a background in marine and outdoor education, and the thing that I loved most about that time was the ability to share my passion with other people. In marine education, it was teaching kids (and adults) that the ocean isn’t such a scary place and that the creatures in it are fascinating and wonderful!
With BB, not only do I get to work with so many people who are passionate about the outdoors and being stewards for Richmond’s outdoor spaces, but we also share that passion with communities that otherwise might not have access (or think they have access) to all of Richmond’s outdoor adventures.
In both of these instances, through sharing, teaching, and including others, the most rewarding thing is to see someone’s face light up when they find a new passion or when they have an amazing experience in nature. Because after all, what’s better than being outside?
13. Fun fact about yourself? In May 2023, I will become both a Registered Yoga Teacher AND a new mom!
14. What does adventure mean to you? An adventure, to me, is something that challenges you but also is fun or intriguing and gets you excited!
15. Favorite animal? Octopus!
16. Favorite place you've traveled to? Portugal