Representation in the Outdoor Industry & The Wilderness First Responder Course with Adi
Adi Sadeh was a recipient of the 2022 Fall scholarship for outdoor education and received her Wilderness First Responder certification through NOLS.
My name is Adi Sadeh (she/her). I am a splitboarder and photographer/ story-teller with an emphasis on diversity in the outdoor industry. Throughout college, I worked for various nonprofits and developed a strong passion for activism in environmental and social justice work. Along with my passion for snowboarding and backcountry recreation, I felt there is a strong need for more representation in these spaces. Historically, snow sports and outdoor recreation has been a predominately privileged and white space. As a woman of color, I felt this heavily when I started snowboarding. My mission became to build a community of BIPOC in snowsports to empower one another, share knowledge and create more representation in the industry!
I am an aspiring splitboard guide and have many dreams for travel and snowboarding. After receiving my AIARE 2 last winter, I decided it was important to get my Wilderness First Responder (WFR) to build on my rescue skills and knowledge in the backcountry. Backcountry Squatters made this possible for me by offering a scholarship to cover the majority of costs for my WFR course.
The Wilderness First Responder course was incredibly valuable. I learned so much in the course such as evacuation protocols, medical emergencies, CPR, and patient assessment in remote settings. The presence of other women in the course added immeasurable value, inspiring me to continue pushing boundaries. This course really motivated me to go for a wilderness EMT in the future. The WFR certification has opened up so many doors for me. I started my first season as a tail guide for a snowcat operation in Tahoe. It was exciting to dip my toes in the world of guiding, and the WFR allowed me to do so! My goal is to take the PRO 1 course next year to become a splitboard guide.
I highly recommend the WFR for those interested in guiding or for anyone that recreates in the backcountry. I am excited about these scholarship opportunities opening up, because it is truly creating more access and representation in the industry and is supporting BIPOC, and self identifying women get opportunities to learn important knowledge and skills!
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