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First Descents (FD) is a charitable non-profit organization headquartered in Denver, Colorado.[4] Brad Ludden, a professional kayaker, founded First Descents in 2001.[5]
First Descents has served around 10,000 young adult survivors at over 1,000 programs nationwide.[6] First Descents has been recognized by CNN Heroes[7] and Outside magazine's Best Places to Work.[8]
When Brad Ludden was 12, and his 38-year-old aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer, he decided to volunteer at a local pediatric oncology program and teach kayaking.[9] In 2001, he started First Descents.[10]
In 2016, Ludden won the CNN Hero Award for his work with First Descents.[7][11]
In 2020, First Descents expanded programming to serve healthcare professionals on the frontlines of COVID-19.[12][9]
First Descents provides week-long and multi-day programs nationwide.[9] The programs offer climbing, paddling, and surfing.[13]
In 2011, First Descents offered 27 outdoor programs, and 283 people participated. In 2012, the number of outdoor programs grew to 45, and the number of participants was 515.[3] In 2013, First Descents ran programs in 12 states and three countries.[14]
First Descents founder Brad Ludden approached filmmaker Michael Brown, a three-time Emmy Award winner, about directing a documentary about Ludden's adventures with cancer survivors.[15] First Descents launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund the documentary and raised $21,507.[16]
Ludden and 14 other young adult cancer survivors spent a week together in the outdoors. Brown filmed the adventures and interviewed the participants.[17] The film was released on April 14, 2012.[18]
When I found out about my friend Brad Ludden's organization, and that he was bringing cancer survivors into the wilderness for wilderness therapy in a setting where diagnosis didn't matter--chemotherapy wasn't the main topic of conversation--and since that time, we've been working on this film. So much has gone so well.
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