When you tell people, you’re kayaking around Manhattan, most people’s reaction is “aren’t you afraid you’ll catch something?” Turns out, over the last few decades, the water’s gotten a lot cleaner. Not that I’d drink a glass straight out of the river, although I dared my kayak partner to do so; he wouldn’t take me […]
Sometimes things happen to us that are out of our control and can send us spiraling into darkness. When that happens and when there is no clear path forward, it becomes imperative to “Reach,” not just with the end-game of coping, but thriving. When I went blind, and part of me wanted to retreat, I […]
Each year I go on numerous adventures, but the No Barriers Summit invariably trumps them all. Our annual event is a blast and a testament to the power of the human spirit. This year, for the first time, we’re taking a bite out of the Big Apple. No Barriers will be bringing our world-class Summit […]
Last Saturday, on a beautiful, crisp, clear, Colorado day, 130 people gathered in front of the Dao house in Estes Park, ready to hike together. Once a year, No Barriers hosts our annual What’s Your Everest event, where teams of people meet up to hike a mountain, regardless of ability or background. The aim: rally […]
Barriers can come into our lives at any moment and knock us down. How we react and grow from those experiences is what matters. Erin reached out to my team after reading No Barriers to share how the book came into her life when she needed it most. She recently experienced a devastating loss and […]
This past June I led a two week No Barriers Youth trip hiking through the Mustang region of Nepal. My kids, Emma and Arjun, were among the participants and afterwards, along with my wife, Ellie, our family stuck around and made an extra excursion. We returned to Yak and Yeti where we first met my son […]
Just got back from a great family reunion in New Hampshire. We were on Lake Winnipesaukee, where my son, AJ, also goes to camp. It’s a massive (about 71 square miles), northern lake with stunning clear blue water. It has been an annual summer tradition to meet up with my whole family on the lake […]
Susan Spann is an author, cancer survivor, and newly minted adventurer. Despite all that life has thrown at her, Susan continues to Reach. Her No Barriers pledge is to summit all 100 of the Nihon Hyakumeizan (100 famous mountains of Japan). If successful, she’ll be the first cancer survivor to do so within a year of […]
Heading Out Half the challenge of Nepal is just getting there. After 40 hours, four flights, several time zones, lying on grubby airport floors, heat, and humidity, we made it to Pokhara, the start of our 2-week No Barriers Youth Experience. We kicked off our adventure with the local staple meal of Dhal Bat (lentils […]
My speaking career has taken me around the world, but my most recent event was hosted in a unique place: Mauritius, an isolated island in the Indian Ocean, well known for its natural beauty, and for being the farewell setting of the last Dodo bird. Mark Twain said of the island, “Mauritius was made first, […]
