We had the good fortune of connecting with Brad Ludden and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brad, what role has risk played in your life or career?
My entire professional career as a whitewater kayaker was built on taking risks. What I learned very quickly through taking risks in my kayak was that with risk comes reward and that I always knew in my gut if the risk was manageable. When evaluating a challenging rapid from the shore, I would have overwhelming feelings of nervousness and excitement. If things didn’t go well in a rapid at that level, it could end my life, and there was no certainty in the outcomes as the river was always in charge. I had to learn to trust my gut and when it felt right, I would take on the challenge of the rapid. When it didn’t, I would immediately grab my kayak and walk around it. Trusting that instinct kept me alive. Similarly, when my instincts told me I could successfully navigate the rapid, doing so brought on a whole range of wild emotions. From feeling scared to death at the top, focused throughout and overwhelmed with happiness and reward at the bottom. That feeling of reward is what kept me going back for more. All of those instincts, fears and joy have applied to everything I’ve done in my life, not just in my kayak, including starting and growing the non profit organization First Descents.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started kayaking when I was 9 years old. What started as a curiosity quickly evolved into a passion and then a profession. I became Nike’s first sponsored whitewater kayaker and started traveling the globe in search of remote and unexplored rivers. Somewhere along the way, my Aunt was diagnosed with cancer as a young adult in her 30’s. I saw firsthand the impact it hand on her professional, personal and social life. I felt helpless as I watched her fight and realized she didn’t have any support services available to her. I decided I wanted to do more than just be an athlete, I wanted to help people like my Aunt, and the only way I knew to help, was to teach them how to kayak. Kayaking had given me so much – a sense of accomplishment, self confidence and a supportive community. I believed it could do the same for others who truly needed it. So, in 1999, I started working on the idea that would eventually grow into First Descents – a non profit organization that provides free life-changing outdoor adventures to young adults (18-39 years old) impacted by cancer and other serious health conditions.

When I set out to start First Descents there were about 250 support organizations in the US for pediatric oncology patients and there were none for young adults. At that same time there were roughly 10,000 pediatric diagnosis each year and over 70,000 young adults. I’m not saying there wasn’t a need for support services for pediatric patients because there definitely was, I’m just saying there was a great need for support services for young adults and those services just weren’t there. Additionally, and as so many of us can relate, being a young adult is especially challenging. It’s a time in our lives when we’re moving out of our childhood homes, starting college, starting a career, dating, taking on debt and starting a family. Each of these things on their own can be overwhelming, and if you layer cancer on top of them, they become nearly impossible.

Because of these things and so many others, the young adults who attend our programs often have increased feelings of isolation, alienation, depression, anxiety, lack of self confidence, self esteem and self compassion. After 2 published research studies, we’ve shown First Descents has a tremendous, positive and sustained impact on the aforementioned areas. By providing a free week long outdoor adventure to a small group of young adults with cancer, we can help them heal in a very meaningful way. Over the past 24 years, we’ve provided these healing adventures to about 11,000 young adults. If you had told me that back in 2001 when we hosted our first program, I wouldn’t have believed you. It’s a testament to the healing power of adventure and the First Descents community that believes in it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m happy to do this for NW MT, but otherwise I’d love to shown around the city as I don’t know much about it! 🙂

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This is an easy one! I want to give a HUGE shoutout to all of the passionate and dedicated staff, board members and volunteers who give so much of themselves to see First Descents grow and succeed. Now and throughout the decades, they’ve devoted so much to this mission and it absolutely would not exist were it not for them. Additionally, none of us would give ourselves to this mission without the amazing and inspiring young adults we serve who take on these adventures and in doing so inspire us beyond words.

Website: www.firstdescents.org

Instagram: @first_descents

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/brad-ludden-a974591a

Image Credits
For my head shot, please credit Leslie Hittmeier

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