12 veterans with disabilities come together to break through personal barriers and attempt to summit Mt. Baker Sept. 11
No Barriers Warriors and Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) announced the team of 12 veterans with disabilities selected to participate in the 2019 Warrior Strong: The Journey Continues expedition. This year’s expedition is to Mt. Baker in Washington’s Cascade Mountain Range, Sept. 5–14.
No Barriers Warriors expeditions are designed to push veterans mentally and physically in wilderness settings. Through these expeditions, No Barriers Warriors participants set out to reflect on their past, recognize their contributions to their communities, and develop a vision for continued service. Since 2014, Wells Fargo and No Barriers Warriors have taken more than 60 veterans with disabilities on expeditions to locations including Denali National Park in Alaska, Gannett Peak in Wyoming, Mount Sneffels in Colorado and Mt. Whitney in California.
The 2019 team consists of alumni from previous No Barriers Warriors expeditions and include:
- Tywan Ajani – Phoenix, Arizona – US ARMY
- Joseph Canavan – Quincy, Massachusetts – US ARMY
- Felipe Chuab – Phenix City, Alabama – US ARMY
- Brent Grushecky – West Newton, Pennsylvania – US ARMY
- Naomi Hart – Bothell, Washington – US NAVY
- Guadalupe Hernandez – Missouri City, Texas – US MARINE CORPS
- Ryan Kelly – Denver, Colorado – US ARMY
- Frankie Perez – San Juan, Puerto Rico – US ARMY
- Daniel Razo – Midlothian, Texas – US MARINE CORPS
- Dustin Speakman – Fort Collins, Colorado – US ARMY
- Jason Stewart – Roselle, Illinois – US NAVY
- Blake Vonasek – Brattleboro, Vermont – US MARINE CORPS
“We have seen amazing veteran transformations over the past six years,” said Jerry Quinn, head of Wells Fargo Enterprise Military & Veteran Initiatives and U.S. Army reservist. “This year, with a team of alumni returning for this Warrior Strong expedition, we look forward to their continued growth and elevation in their contributions to their communities. They truly exemplify the best traits of our returning veterans who continue to serve one another, develop themselves, and achieve whatever they set out to do.”
The team will train in June at the 2019 No Barriers Summit at North Lake Tahoe, Calif., where they will prepare physically through a series of activities including alpine movement training at Tahoe’s Via Ferrata.
“Bringing the team together to collaborate and set goals for their upcoming expedition allows them to explore different ways to support each other and build their rope team,” said John Toth, No Barriers Warriors program director and a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. “We know they will take what they learn together and bring that spirit of perseverance, teamwork and leadership home to their community and workplace.”
Following the expedition in September, the veterans and the No Barriers Warriors leaders will gather for a post-expedition developmental session to keep them on track for personal growth.
