Will Gadd
At the Banff Mountain Book Festival, ©Ian Holmes 2019
If one would describe Will Gadd by his activities, he is a kayaker, climber and paraglider pilot. He has made first ascents of some of the most difficult ice and mixed climbs in the world, won numerous sport climbing competitions, medals in the X Games, and both Canadian and US Paragliding Nationals. He set the paragliding distance world record on two separate occasions, with his longest flight being 263 miles.
Will is also an environmental activist. Regarding his work with the UN on that topic, he commented that he is using, “... my athletic and guiding skills to help research climate change and glaciers, which I’ve been doing a lot of lately both locally on the Athabasca Glacier and the Greenland Ice Cap. It’s great to combine my sports and cutting edge research, I’m learning a lot and hopefully making a difference for my kids and their kids.”
Will is thoughtful, articulate, and if his passion and enthusiasm cannot motivate you to try harder — at whatever — then you are either in the ground already or just a few steps away.
