Volunteer of the Year Dave Swager
Join us in congratulating local legend Dave Swager, named 2024 Beyond Boundaries Volunteer of the Year. Dave is a seasoned climber, raft guide and adventurer, who can often be seen running the James River or on the walls at our local climbing gyms. Dave has been a stalwart supporter of Beyond Boundaries and has dedicated an incredible amount of time to our mission.
“Dave has been a long time volunteer with Beyond Boundaries and has been involved with the organization almost as long as BB has been established. I first met Dave at the ‘old shop’, aka RVA Paddlesports office, when he was the Trip Leader on our rafting program. We connected quickly and Dave was excited to take our participants down the river from the get go.” Says Shep
Dave is a popular partner on trips, and has worked hard to build relationships with so many of our participants. This effort goes a long way toward building both trust and rapport, which can help people overcome challenges when it counts.
“I remember one young man who was extremely reluctant to go rafting, he was very vocal about wanting to get off the river. By the time we got to the bottom of pipeline rapids he was asking to go back up and do it again. To see that kind of shift in attitude was awesome,” says Dave about one of his favorite Beyond Boundaries memories.
Dave is a passionate outdoor enthusiast who pursues his own adventures outside of our programming as well. As a seasoned river guide and climber, he brings a level of practiced expertise to our trips, something that many participants gravitate towards. His openness, welcoming attitude and calm demeanor are a constant, but what many people may not see is his no-quit ethic. Dave goes above and beyond to ensure our participants have a good experience.
“I remember skiing with Janie and having her dad suggest to Janie that the guides may need a break because she just wanted to keep going. We had icicles dripping off of us and Janie was keen to keep going,” he says laughingly. He was willing to keep up to ensure Janie had a great time and this dedication stands out on every adventure.
“Dave is a very passionate person about most things outdoors and he shows up, week after week, year after year, to make sure others get a chance to experience what he loves so much. Whether it's paddling, climbing, fishing, or many of the other adventures we offer, Dave is there. Dave, thanks for all of the times that you helped connect our participants to new opportunities for making our community better and more adventurous!” says Shep.
For Dave, the connection with the participants is what makes volunteering so worthwhile.
“I love the authenticity you get with so many of the Beyond Boundaries participants, what you see is what you get, you can be honest and the folks you’re working with are being themselves, it puts me at ease and I really enjoy it,” says Dave.
Outside of helping our participants, Dave has also worked hard to share his knowledge and passion with our team, providing tips, tricks and teaching to make us better guides and stewards.
“I met Dave through the James River where Dave is a known river enthusiast, also called a river Jedi. He was sharing so much knowledge with me about the James and how to guide, we became friends! I invited him to climb with my friends one night when he told me he had never climbed, and Dave hasn't looked back! This really helped me, because Dave has been a dedicated volunteer, attending at least 4 climbs a month during our winter months,” Katie states.
We’d like to thank Dave for his incredible dedication to our mission and his endless enthusiasm and support.
When asked what advice Dave had for new volunteers, he responded saying; “Just do it. Take the first step and just do it. Your heart will lead you from there.”
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves!