Team

Eric graduated from the University of Georgia in 2004 with a degree in Recreation Therapy. Following graduation, he moved to Park City, Utah and worked 3 years for the National Ability Center. There he taught people with disabilities how to ski, snowboard, canoe, climb, horseback, cross-country snow ski, cycle, and water-ski. Eric has received his clinical experience working for the VA hospital in Augusta, Georgia as well as the Shepherd Center and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Eric continues to teach skiing to people with disabilities all over the country and volunteers with Wounded Warrior Camps, Camp Twin Lakes, and The Lighthouse Family Retreat. Through the years Eric has become a Water Safety Instructor, Wilderness First Responder, Emergency Medical Technician, Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, Professional Ski Instructor of America (adaptive), and an American Mountain Guide Association instructor. In his free time, he enjoys spending time mountain biking, sailing, triathlons, skiing, climbing, kayaking and any other way to play on God's giant playground.

Adam has spent over 15 years in the adventure, education and non-profit field. He served as the Associate Program Director…

Gillian graduated from the University of Strathclyde: Scottish School of Sport Studies with a degree in Sport in the Community. After graduating, she began her career as Program Coordinator for the award-winning Healthy Lifestyle Project in Coatbridge, Scotland. In this role, she led a team to deliver a holistic health education program in schools with a focus on preventing childhood obesity. Gillian then spent 7 years as Active Schools Coordinator in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, where she had great success increasing and enhancing the opportunities for youth to participate in physical activity in school and the community. In this role, Gillian was also responsible for recruiting and training numerous volunteers to ensure the sustainability of programs. At this point in her career, Gillian made the move across the Atlantic to Georgia and took up the position as Manager of Adaptive Sports Programs with BlazeSorts America. A key highlight of this position for Gillian was working with youth and veterans with physical disabilities across a variety of programs and events including wheelchair basketball, archery, climbing and track, and field. Gillian has a passion for indoor and outdoor sports. She loves windsurfing, snowboarding, running, soccer and also represented Scotland in volleyball at junior, university, and senior level. She also holds a black belt in karate. Gillian lives in Marietta with her husband Stuart, daughter Maia and son Finn.

Mark Huckeba, who prefers to go by Huck, graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in risk management and insurance and describes himself as a climbing addict. In 2004 Huck successfully hiked the Appalachian Trail from end to end and developed a strong sense of adventure. Hiking the trail brought him his first job at the Appalachian Mountain Club in New Hampshire and introduced him to climbing. Throughout several moves and jobs, climbing remained a steady hobby for Huck. He began the discipline of climbing at Triangle Rock Club in Raleigh, NC. After a year of climbing at TRC, Huck began to volunteer belay children’s birthday parties and eventually began to lead groups to climbing destinations in the southeast. Currently, on the side, Huck teaches and coaches climbing at Life Time Fitness in Woodstock, Georgia. He teaches top rope and lead climbing skills to adults, leads a class for children, coaches a youth climb team and leads all climbing summer camps. In addition, Huck instructs belay certification classes.

Knoxville, Tennessee has been her home for 47 years. She obtained a degree in Exercise Physiology from The University of Tennessee, and has been a licensed/certified prosthetist and orthotist for 15 years. Leslie is currently employed by Hanger Clinic and manages two Knoxville regional clinics. Leslie's scope of practice ranges from pediatric to geriatric and encompasses all types of disabilities. Leslie has a passion for outdoor recreation and a healthy lifestyle. She believes in empowering everyone with the ability to participate. Leslie is an ACA certified in Adaptive Paddling and has been volunteering for Catalyst Sports for almost 4 years.

Knoxville Chapter Coordinator Lydia Weeks decided at a young age that an active lifestyle and service to others were central…

Birmingham Chapter Coordinator  Leigh Ann summits everything with a fun-loving, inquisitive approach. She enjoys paddle boarding, mountain biking, hiking or…

Elaine Adams Gossett was instrumental in developing the City's Therapeutic Recreation Program in 2002 with the mindset that leisure and…

Augusta Chapter Coordinator Zion Schiller is passionate about rock climbing, working with children, and helping those with disabilities. Teaching the…

From Franklin, TN Amy is the Executive Director of ABLE Youth, a wheelchair sports and independence non-profit for kids and youth in Nashville. She started climbing in 2014 when Catalyst came to Nashville for their first climb and became our chapter's coordinator last year. As a wheelchair user herself, having spina bifida and no leg function, Amy saw climbing as a new challenge and a new way to build my strength. "I have always loved both new adventures and fitness, and climbing has fulfilled both of those passions." Amy regularly races in her wheelchair and is training for her 9th half marathon. She have seen that climbing has really made a difference in her strength, especially in muscle groups that she doesn't use otherwise and wanted others to experience the benefits of climbing, too. Amy loves seeing new climbers try something for the first time and realize that they can do something that they may never have thought that they could do before. We even have people in our chapter who are able to reduce their physical therapy appointments because climbing provides them with a way to use and strengthen their muscles in a fun way. I also really enjoy seeing the other climbers at our climbing gym watch our Catalyst climbers. They may not even realize that they have a disability at first when they see them on the wall, but they soon realize that a Catalyst climber's disability isn't a barrier to climbing, just as it doesn't have to be a barrier to a full and active life in general. Amy truly believe that climbing at Catalyst is much more than climbing; it's changing perceptions of disability in society and breaking down barriers.​

Greater DC Chapter Coordinator Andrew has been living in the D.C. area for the past 7 years, and started climbing…

Ross has been climbing for over a decade, competing and coaching in the collegiate scene prior to moving to Western…