An outdoorsman鈥檚 outreach to youths facing troubles at home
| Spokane, Wash.
This is not your typical sit-back-and-relax counseling session.
With waves splashing up the sides of their yellow rafts, 10 youngsters wearing black wet suits and life jackets paddle down a swift and choppy Spokane River, laughing and smiling as they go.
For these young rafters, most of them from disadvantaged backgrounds, this is a day they鈥檒l never forget. And Ryan Kerrigan, who helped organize this rafting trip, hopes it鈥檚 a day that will be a turning point in their lives.
This river adventure, lending brightness to an overcast day, is about learning life lessons, such as the importance of cooperation 鈥� and about simply having fun.
鈥淔un is a huge part of it,鈥� says Mr. Kerrigan, founder of the nonprofit .
Eleven years ago, Kerrigan, drawing on his outdoor experiences from his childhood, got the idea of starting a life-changing, outdoor adventure ministry for youths in Washington State. Peak 7 was born.
Now, each year, the organization puts on about 70 rafting trips, at least that many overnight hikes through the woods, and one 53-day excursion through the Olympic Peninsula and Cascades. As they sit around the fire eating dinner, the conversations have an objective, a goal.
鈥淗ow do you communicate to them that they鈥檙e worth something?鈥� Kerrigan says. 鈥淭hat they鈥檙e valuable. That they have potential.鈥�
Peak 7 aims to help youths grow emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. The organization has a 海角大神 footing, but it is open to youths regardless of their background, and there is not a 鈥渃ome to my church鈥� expectation.
Skiler Hawk, who was one of the 10 youngsters rafting down the Spokane River recently, was excited about the trip. He couldn鈥檛 wait to get into the rafts and start paddling.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the exertion it gives,鈥� Skiler says when asked what he likes about the experience. 鈥淪ometimes the water gives off an extra burst of speed. So it鈥檚 always fun.鈥�
He calls himself an 鈥渁drenaline junkie.鈥�
鈥淚 like doing the fun things that no one else will do,鈥� Skiler says. 鈥淚 like Peak 7. They鈥檝e been very respectful and nice. They鈥檙e great.鈥�
The adventure outreach has grown from serving 137 youths in 2006, when Peak 7 started, to 4,295 kids in 2016. Many of them are at-risk inner-city youths, ages 13 to 19.
鈥業 was just a weird kid鈥�
Kerrigan can relate to the youngsters with problems.
鈥淚 was just a weird kid,鈥� he says with a chuckle. 鈥淚 remember thinking, 鈥楽chool is dumb. Why am I learning this?鈥� I didn鈥檛 apply myself.鈥�
As the son of missionaries, Kerrigan lived in Kenya and Ecuador as a young child. He learned to love the great outdoors, climbing trees and chasing monkeys.
Then, 12 years ago, Kerrigan was working for a software company in Spokane, Wash. When the company moved to Seattle, he stayed in Spokane to pursue his outdoor vision.
鈥淪ome of these kids will never do this again,鈥� Kerrigan says. 鈥淟ike backpacking in the mountains. That one experience was huge for them.鈥�
These physical challenges, whether belaying down a cliff or hiking, help youths come to an important realization: They discover 鈥淚 can do this,鈥� giving them confidence to face other challenges in their lives. Sometimes, in fact, other problems seem like nothing after what they overcame outdoors.
Kerrigan says he constantly hears from grateful parents, thanking him for the growth in their children.
And he recently ran into someone who went on a Peak 7 backpacking trip and had some good news to share. 鈥淗e said, 鈥業鈥檓 the first kid in my family to ever go to college,鈥� 鈥� Kerrigan says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 awesome.鈥�
Alex Nycum joined Peak 7 in 2013 and is a program coordinator. As an experienced rock climber, he understands the importance of trust in the youths鈥� outdoor experiences.
鈥淎 big part of that trust aspect is what they鈥檙e learning through the different adventures,鈥� Mr. Nycum says. 鈥淭hrough rafting, through rock climbing. Somebody is holding onto the other end of the rope. Trust is a very big part of it.鈥�
No quitting
Kevin Parker is a former state representative and teaches at Gonzaga University and Whitworth University, both in Spokane. He鈥檚 also a donor to Peak 7. 鈥淲e have seen that lives are changed,鈥� he says in a video testimonial. 鈥淲e give to Peak 7 because this is an organization that changes lives in a unique way.鈥�
For many of the participants, one of the biggest lessons they learn is about perseverance.
鈥淭he kids in this generation, when things get really tough, a lot of times their tendency is to give up,鈥� says Austin Dannen, program manager for Peak 7. 鈥淔or a lot of these kids, that鈥檚 been modeled to them by their parents.鈥�
But out in the woods, there鈥檚 no easy escape.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no helicopter coming to take them out,鈥� Mr. Dannen says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 that sort of reality shift for them. There isn鈥檛 this easy way out. It鈥檚 just like in life.鈥�
Dannen relates a story about a youth struggling on a coastal trail. The tide was out and they were walking on the beach.
鈥淎nd one of the kids said he was done,鈥� Dannen says. 鈥淗e said this was more than he signed up for. It鈥檚 way harder. He wanted to quit.鈥�
Dannen told him he couldn鈥檛 quit. The only escape was walking forward.
鈥淚 told him he couldn鈥檛 go backwards,鈥� Dannen says. 鈥淭he car has been driven to the front. He said he鈥檒l just catch the bus. I said, 鈥楾he bus is three miles through the rainforest that way.鈥� 鈥�
When the teen realized there was no quitting, he blew up. 鈥淗e had just been quitting his whole life,鈥� Dannen says. 鈥淗e just started to scream at the top of his lungs. And I said, 鈥楴o, you have to continue.鈥� 鈥�
A year later, Dannen says, he got an instant message from the teen.
鈥淗e said, 鈥業 wanted to quit, and you wouldn鈥檛 let me,鈥� 鈥� Dannen says. 鈥� 鈥楾hank you so much for that. I just graduated from high school today.鈥� Those kinds of things, those kinds of experiences make it special. We鈥檙e there with them 鈥� an adult who cares in this experience. Where they鈥檙e not allowed just to quit. I think that鈥檚 a huge part of it.鈥�
鈥� For more, visit .
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