First Descents
Founded2001
FounderBrad Ludden
TypePublic charity non-profit organization
FocusYoung adult cancer
Outdoor adventure sports[1]
Location
Area served
United States, Costa Rica, Peru, Vietnam, Patagonia, and Bali[2]
ProductOutdoor adventures for cancer fighters
Key people
Ryan O'Donoghue, Executive Director
Revenue
$1,906,780 (2012)[3]
Employees
11-50[1]
WebsiteFirstDescents.org
Brad Ludden on the 4,000 Islands section of the Mekong river in Laos

First Descents (FD) is a charitable non-profit organization headquartered in Denver, Colorado. First Descents provides outdoor adventures for young adults impacted by cancer and other serious health conditions.[4] Brad Ludden, a professional kayaker, founded First Descents in 2001.[5]

First Descents has served nearly 10,000 young adult survivors at over 1,000 programs nationwide.[6] It has established relationships with more than 450 medical centers nationwide to reach patients. Beginning in 2020, First Descents expanded programming to serve healthcare professionals on the frontlines of COVID-19.[7][8] First Descents has been recognized by CNN Heroes[9] and Outside magazine’s Best Places to Work.[10]

How it works

First Descents provides week-long and multi-day programs nationwide.[8] These are low-cost, non-clinical programs.[7] Programs offer a variety of adventure sports, including climbing, paddling, and surfing.[11]

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 grew to 515.[3] In 2013, First Descents ran programs in 12 states and three countries.[12]

Brad Ludden, Founder

When Ludden was 12, and his 38-year-old aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer, he saw how young adults lack support in the cancer world and decided to volunteer at a local pediatric oncology program and teach kayaking.[8] In 2001, he started First Descents.[13] In 2016, Ludden won the CNN Hero Award for his work with First Descents.[9][14]

Out Living It documentary

First Descents founder Brad Ludden approached filmmaker Michael Brown,[lower-alpha 1] three-time Emmy award winner who specialized in documenting outdoor expeditions, about directing a documentary about Ludden's adventures with cancer survivors.[16] First Descents launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund the documentary and raised $21,507.[17]

Ludden and 14 other young adult cancer survivors spent a week together in the outdoors. Brown filmed the adventures and interviewed the participants.[18] The film was released on April 14, 2012.[15]

Notes

  1. ↑ Director Michael Brown has personally completed over 50 expeditions covering all seven continents, filming all of them. He is the founder of a filmmaking school called Outside Adventure Film School.[15]

References

  1. 1 2 "First Descents - LinkedIn". LinkedIn. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  2. ↑ "Programs - First Descents". First Descents. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  3. 1 2 "2012 Year in Review" (PDF). First Descents. Denver, Colorado. 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  4. ↑ "Outdoor Adventure for Cancer Fighters - FIRST DESCENTS.ORG". First Descents. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  5. ↑ Badenhausen, Kurt (19 October 2011). "First Descents: Cancer Camp For Young Adults". Forbes. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  6. ↑ "First Descents Launches Adventures for Frontline Health Care Workers". 5280. 2020-05-19. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
  7. 1 2 "First Descents - Guidestar". www.guidestar.org. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
  8. 1 2 3 "Running Rapids in the Fight Against Cancer". The New York Times. 19 August 2007. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  9. 1 2 Meghan Dunn (8 September 2016). "Outdoor adventure empowers young cancer patients". CNN. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
  10. ↑ Bibber, Ryan Van (2020-11-03). "The 50 Best Places to Work in 2020". Outside Online. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
  11. ↑ Flowers, Lisa A. (2018-03-08). "First Descents". Boulder Weekly. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
  12. ↑ "Key Numbers & Annual Reports - First Descents". First Descents. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  13. ↑ "Staff". First Descents. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
  14. ↑ Lewis, Chelsey. "First Descents is like cancer camp for young adults, taking survivors on free climbing, kayaking and surfing trips". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
  15. 1 2 "Out Living It (2012) - IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  16. ↑ "Remarks by Michael Brown in Kickstarter introductory video". Kickstarter. 20 April 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2014. 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.
  17. ↑ McKee, Kim (20 April 2012). ""Out Living It" by Kim McKee". Kickstarter. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  18. ↑ "Out Living It Documentary - First Descents". First Descents. Retrieved 21 August 2014.

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