You Can't Afford Me
You Can't Afford Me
The healing power of outdoor adventure isn't just for some—it's for everyone.
Imagine for a moment what it would feel like if the highlight of your week was a trip to the mall food court. For many individuals with disabilities, veterans in recovery, and at-risk youth in Richmond, meaningful outdoor experiences remain frustratingly out of reach—not because they can't participate, but because they lack the knowledge, opportunity, or support to try.
George from Beyond Boundaries is changing that narrative. As program coordinator for this remarkable Richmond nonprofit celebrating its 10th anniversary, he's helping connect underserved populations with the region's abundant natural resources. From whitewater rafting on the James River to spotting bald eagles (Richmond boasts the third largest eagle population in the country!) during pontoon trips, Beyond Boundaries has grown from offering just two annual trips to approximately 300 excursions each year.
What makes their approach special is their commitment to "challenge by choice"—encouraging participants to push boundaries while respecting their autonomy. The organization offers about ten different adventure activities including kayaking, fishing, hiking, rock climbing, and cycling programs. Each experience is carefully adapted to accommodate diverse needs while still delivering the profound mental and physical benefits of outdoor recreation. For many participants, these aren't mere recreational activities but transformative experiences that reshape their perception of what's possible.
The conversation also reveals George's fascinating journey from psychology major to outdoor education specialist, driven by his lifelong passion for the outdoors and desire to make meaningful impact. Looking ahead, Beyond Boundaries aims to expand into multi-day summer camp experiences that build deeper connections and progressive skill development.
Want to get involved? Visit BeyondBoundariesRVA.org to learn about volunteer opportunities (no outdoor expertise required!), make donations, or discuss potential partnerships. As George emphasizes, sometimes the most valuable contribution is simply sharing in someone's excitement when they catch their first fish or conquer a climbing wall—moments that might seem small but can change a life forever.
www.themrpreneur.com
Are you an aspiring entrepreneur? Our one-on-one coaching tailors strategies to your unique business goals. Dive into interactive workshops fostering skills essential for success. Looking for an inspirational speaker for your next event? Book Mr Prenuer to elevate your gathering. Visit wwwthemistrepreneurcom to learn more and embark on your path to entrepreneurial success. Mr Prenuer, empowering your entrepreneurial spirit. Welcome to the you Can't Afford Me podcast, where we skip the fluff and dive straight into the grind Real entrepreneurs, real struggles and the unfiltered journey behind success. Let's get into it. Hey guys, thanks for joining us on another episode of the you Can't Afford Me podcast. So I want to do something different this season, and what we're going to do differently this season is that I want to start spotlighting some great local nonprofits in the Richmond area, and we're kicking that off with this episode today. So today on the podcast, we have George from Beyond Boundaries. George, how you doing, buddy?
Speaker 2:Hey, I'm doing well, Sam. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, man. So quick 60 second rundown Tell everybody what Beyond Boundaries does and your role with the organization.
Speaker 2:Sure, so I am the program coordinator for Beyond Boundaries. We are a nonprofit here in Richmond that works to connect underserved populations to all the awesome outdoor resources that Richmond has to offer. We've got some awesome parks, both like local stuff as well as like the National Park, being the James running the city, and there's a lot of folks that just either don't know how to get out there or might believe that for some reason they don't belong as part of these spaces. So it's kind of our mission to help educate people on how to go about getting out there, but then also help educate the professionals that are already in those spaces on how to better accommodate a more diverse set of populations. We do a lot of work with individuals with disabilities, both cognitive disabilities as well as physical disabilities but we also work with folks who are in substance abuse recovery, veterans and inner city youth groups as well.
Speaker 1:Nice.
Speaker 2:So we do try to hit a pretty wide range of folks.
Speaker 1:Good stuff. So this kind of hits with me because I used to be a mental health professional oh very cool. So I did that for 10 years. Health professional oh very cool. So I did that for 10 years. And I can tell you from the inside, looking out, there were a lot of things that sucked with that business. Because when we're like, say, it was like a day center I was working at or we were doing community-based stuff, it was always the same thing Like let's just get them out, we'll take them to the food court at the mall today, or like we'll just go do the same boring activities all the time. And like, in the eyes of the organization was like we're doing enough because we're getting them out and they're not, you know, just stuck in a room, like like normal. Talk to us about, like the different types of. Actually, let me go this route first what does that do for someone who may have mental health disabilities? Just exposing them to the outdoors and the activities that you guys are providing?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so just kind of like speaking in general, I mean just being outside. There's so many health benefits, both like mentally as well as physically, to just being out in the sun, being outside, getting fresh air, you know, breaking out of your normal routines, doing something a little bit different. And, as you're kind of already pointing out, a lot of these populations have very, very limited outlets that they can be involved in. An activity like going to the mall food court might be the highlight of the week to some of these folks, and so in a lot of the situations, there's no real reason why these folks can't come and do these activities. It's really just often a I just don't know what, I don't know, um, and so that's definitely where we try to step in and try to help, uh, show them that, oh, no, you can absolutely go fishing. No, you can absolutely go kayaking. Um, tons of different things that we like to do.
Speaker 1:Gotcha, let's talk about you. How did you get into this field? Like I'm assuming, you've always been like an outdoorsy type of person. I'll tell you for me, like the most outdoors I get is like when I'm on the golf course, like that's my way of getting outside. But what got you into this space? Were you always into the outdoors?
Speaker 2:Yes, I definitely grew up my dad was very, very into advocating for like spending time outside Same with my mom. I definitely kind of grew up right on the cusp of like free range childhood kind of you know being allowed to just go out and play in the neighborhood for the afternoon and come inside when the streetlights come on.
Speaker 2:Right or you know some sort of variation of that. Like definitely had that as well as I was in the Boy Scouts growing up. So you know Boy Scouts have had a troubled history. But I definitely look back on my time very positively learned lots of things, got to experience lots of firsts at a relatively young age, but then also kind of set me up to have that kind of service mindset, have that kind of service mindset. I definitely figured out very early on that I was never going to be happy, just stuck in an office work in the cubicle job, you know even if it came with a really, really big paycheck.
Speaker 2:you know, there were other things in life that I felt were going to be a little more important to me than just that big take home at the end of the day. And then so as I kind of continued, I really got into rock climbing, um, in high school, and that continued on in college, um. So when I finished up school, I was really kind of looking for a way to kind of combine passions that I had, like rock climbing and outdoor adventure stuff, with, um, some of the stuff that I had studied in school. I briefly thought that I might kind of want to become a therapist of some kind, and then major in psychology in school.
Speaker 2:Yes, so I studied psychology in school but then, you know, through school I just figured it found out that that wasn't exactly the fit. You know, there was definitely going to be a lot of that, you know, sitting in an office, kind of stuff like I was talking about. So I ended up starting a few little small programs here and there with the climbing gym that I was working with here in town, peak Experiences. They're a huge partner of, they've been a big supporter of me in general, but then also they're a huge partner of Beyond Boundaries as well. So over the years I just kind of kept working on that, finding ways to make rock climbing a little more inclusive, get individuals with special needs involved. That's also where I saw my first adaptive rock climbing. So, like helping individuals with physical disabilities engage in climbing was through that gym. And then COVID.
Speaker 2:Covid was really kind of the big moment where, um, you know, we all had a lot of time to think about what we were doing with our lives and, um, the job I was working at the time was definitely not, uh, fulfilling my needs and um, so I looked for some change and that's when I started talking more with beyond boundaries. Um, I'd been partnering with them on the adaptive climbing stuff for a long time, but it was really just kind of coming out of that that I started looking at how can we do this a little bit more, how can I bring more than just my rock climbing experience to this, how can I bring my outdoor experience to it as well? And so, yeah, that's where we ended up. I joined the team full time about a year ago and I've been super excited about it ever since.
Speaker 1:Nice. Can you give us a little history, a little of the story on how the organization started?
Speaker 2:Beyond Boundaries?
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely so. Beyond Boundaries started back in 2015. First, like five years or so, we're a big one-man show by our founder, shep Roper. Like five years or so were a big one-man show by our founder, shep Roper. Awesome guy, very passionate, very into the inclusivity and trying to bring outdoor activities to different populations. His background started with rafting and more of the river side of things. So the first ever trips that beyond boundaries did were whitewater rafting trips. Um, the first year I think they only did two, maybe three trips the whole year. Um, and we're up to about 300 trips a year now, uh, 10 years later, um, this year is our 10 year anniversary, uh, so we're really psyched on that as well.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, shep really kind of poured his heart and soul into it. He did have a partner kind of that helped start up some of the other like you know, the business side of things, but he was really the man that was hands-on running the trips, really kind of getting things going. And then just kind of, as he got more known and, you know, got more people excited for his mission, more people started coming and like, well, could we, you know, could we go fishing, could we go kayaking, like you know. Just starting to ask him about more, a more variety of activities and Shep is definitely a big guy on not wanting to say no if we can um, he loves to find a way to make it work. Yeah, um, and so, because of that, we've just been broadening out and we now do. I think it's about 10 different activities that we're involved in nice, um what are the activities?
Speaker 1:so I know, I know in richmond we have I think I'm again I'm not a big outdoorsy guy Was it whitewater rafting? We actually have like a pretty unique setup here in the Richmond area.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So, along with that, what are some of the other activities you guys do whitewater rafting, things like that?
Speaker 2:We do so, whitewater rafting and some other river sports such as. We do a little bit of whitewater kayaking, but most of our kayaking programs are flat water kayaking because there's lots of ponds, lakes and streams that can be explored with a little bit less, uh skills needed. Um, we also do fishing. Um hiking programs. Um, we have a pontoon boat that operates out of Osborne Landing that we do pontoon trips. That section of the James is really neat. It has a really high population of bald eagles down there, oh wow, as well as some other really cool bird species and things. So lots of real fun, nature and wildlife to go check out.
Speaker 1:Wait, how far away is that from the?
Speaker 2:city, osborne Landing. Well, from here at Rockets Landing landings, maybe 15, 20 minutes uh we got eagles flying around absolutely definitely kind of a?
Speaker 2:um, not know that yeah, we're like the third or fourth biggest population of bald eagles in the country, really. Yeah, there's like a thousand some bald eagles that live in our state, jeez I have no idea um it's. It's amazing how much uh outdoor environments we have so close to the city here, it's definitely easy to kind of forget about that when you're, you know, in amongst the skyscrapers and the big office buildings and everything Yep.
Speaker 1:Um, what are the reactions that you get, cause I can only assume, like again, having a history and a career in this field, working with people with special needs. What are the reactions of the participants when you guys are taking them out on excursions like this stuff that they've probably never been exposed to before? What's the vibe, what's the feeling when they come back from that?
Speaker 2:I mean, well, having worked with folks with special needs, you know that they come with, you know, a huge range of emotions and, um, what uh, super excited looks like for one person looks completely different for another person. Um, so you know, we do get lots of people that are super excited. Looks like for one person looks completely different for another person. So you know we do get lots of people that are super excited. I mean, some people just kind of naturally have that energy. So, yeah, generally very positive.
Speaker 2:You know we make a big effort to emphasize challenge by choice on some of our more adventurous activities. You know, a pontoon ride is definitely one of our more laid back. You know, we're just being outside, we're just enjoying the water, we're just seeing sights, but for something like whitewater rafting or kayaking or rock climbing, we make a big point of emphasizing that we're never going to make you do anything. We're going to encourage you to do stuff. We want you to have the opportunity, but at the end of the day, if you say no, I'm good, cool Sounds good, all right, man, hey, we're happy you're here, happy you tried.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like if you asked me to jump out of a plane, I don't care how much you're paying me, I ain't doing that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. Um, I definitely have my limits on uh, on what I'm excited to do. Um, some of the whitewater stuff that we get in here is stuff around the city is definitely very serious and can definitely get uh very extreme very fast. So I definitely have a very healthy respect for that community here in town. Uh, I definitely like to joke with my coworkers. I'm much more of the dry land guy, I'm the rock climber and I've also been working on starting up our cycling program.
Speaker 1:Oh nice.
Speaker 2:Which is kind of one of our more up-and-coming programs. Cycling is another thing that has a really big community here in Richmond with the Capitol Trail and then the soon-to-be the Fall Line Trail coming in, so that seemed like kind of a natural community to try to work into. Next, it was one that we kind of had like the smallest footprint in.
Speaker 1:So what are the needs of the organization right now? Are you guys currently looking for volunteers? Obviously, every nonprofit needs support financially. What are some of the things that people can do to support you guys?
Speaker 2:Absolutely. Volunteers are definitely a big part of what we do can do to support you guys. Absolutely, volunteers are definitely a big part of what we do. You know a lot of people always ask us you know, do I need to be an expert kayak or an expert fisherman to be able to come out to your activity? No, absolutely not. A big part of what we look, always are looking for for our volunteers is that sense of community. Come out, hang out, talk to folks like share their excitement when they catch the fish. Even if you want to have nothing to do with touching that fish or, you know, getting the worm off the hook or anything like that, that's fine. Just come hang out, you know, because sharing that community, sharing that passion and joy for being outside, is another thing that is often lacking a little bit in these communities that we're working with so when do you guys actually do?
Speaker 1:the activities is typically during the week, during normal business hours, weekends, like one of these activities taking place a little bit of all over.
Speaker 2:we do have groups that want like daytime during the week stuff, because they are, you know, day services organizations, um, but we do also have a lot of like school youth groups or um things like that that do um go in the afternoons after school or like afterschool clubs, for example. Um, we do also have weekend programs. So there really is um all over, uh, as far as stuff that's going to suit your schedule. So definitely check out our website. We have a volunteer portal on there that you can get signed up. It has our whole calendar of offerings of everything we do. But you can also just reach out to us directly if you have any questions about, or hesitations about, joining in with a program.
Speaker 1:Are there any physical donations that you guys look for, Like, say, like water shoes, since you guys are going to be on the boat, or the things like that that you look for as well?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean outdoor activity gear. As long as it is in you know, good, relatively close to new condition, we're all about that stuff. The only time that we start getting a little have to be a little particular is anything safety gear related, um, so like rock climbing harnesses, ropes, um PFDs. We have to be a little, uh picky about those kinds of things just to make sure that we're um not inadvertently using something that's unsafe. Um, but, um, yeah, physical gear.
Speaker 2:You know, if you've got boats or bikes or anything like that, um, that are just taking up space, you want to get them to a good home. We're definitely interested in that kind of stuff. But kind of like a real big picture thing that Beyond Boundaries is kind of hoping to do. Long term, we're looking to get into like a summer camp kind of situation. So we're exploring a few different avenues. Whether that means like partnering up with someone who already has kind of a land, has land or a space that runs, summer camp type things that we could work with and help build up infrastructure and make those camps accessible to everyone, or if it's something that there's an underutilized piece of property that someone is looking to give a new life to, we'd definitely be interested in talking about that, because that's something that we are seeing now that we've got such a variety of different activities going on. A new kind of model we're trying out this summer is a little bit of like a summer camp model, where we'll take a group from, say, autism Society of Central Virginia.
Speaker 1:Yep.
Speaker 2:And they'll come to us every day for four days of the week, and each day we're going to have a different activity, a new adventure, to go on, but it's going to be the same group of participants each day.
Speaker 1:Yep.
Speaker 2:So this gives us the opportunity to kind of get to know people a little bit better, build on that community side, build the social side of it a little bit more, as opposed to our more one-off models which are, you know, definitely more on the adventure side, the experience side. We want to show you what this activity is all about and help you have a good day, Love it.
Speaker 1:In the fast-paced world of business, your digital marketing strategy shouldn't be a burden. At Enzo Media Firm, we make it effortless. We specialize in empowering medium to large businesses with comprehensive digital marketing solutions, from dynamic video marketing and podcast production to advanced web development and social media strategies. Every client at Enzo Media Firm is paired with a dedicated account manager, your guide through the digital landscape, ensuring personalized attention and tailored made strategies, and with monthly meetings with our creative team. We keep your marketing aligned with your vision, even if you're short on time.
Speaker 1:Enzo Media Firm, where marketing is just not simplified. It's personalized, effective and designed for your success. Discover the ease of digital marketing with us. Visit wwwenzomediafirmcom to get started. If people want or no, let me ask you this what organizations? Because I know a lot of people listening to this right now like they may have connections to some organizations that may make sense in terms of a partnership or referring the type of clientele to work with you guys. What organizations are you looking for relationships with? Is it schools I know you just mentioned, like the summer camps and things like that? Who are you looking to be connected with?
Speaker 2:Good question as far as groups that we might help to serve. Some examples yeah, day service programs. So I believe we initially met your organization through our mutual Smiles Like Yours yeah. Smiles Like Yours. Some other partners of ours Autism Society of Central Virginia, virginia Down Syndrome Association, jacob's Chance Nest Academy. These are a good selection of different groups, like with disabilities, some other groups I might shout out. We do some work with the McShin Association or Foundation. We do work with Virginia Home for Boys and girls um boys to men girls to women.
Speaker 1:I'm on the board for boys, man.
Speaker 2:Oh, fantastic. Um, we have actually, I believe. Uh, my coworker, katie, has taken a group of them rock climbing later today.
Speaker 1:Nice, nice.
Speaker 2:Um small world.
Speaker 1:Yep.
Speaker 2:Um, those connections tend to come out in this, uh, in this space.
Speaker 2:Absolutely connections tend to come out in this uh, in this space, a lot um and then um veterans groups. Um, we were, we partnered with um wounded warrior association, uh team river runner um and then um veterans is probably one of our smaller populations that we serve here in richmond. But just a small little shout out to, we have a satellite program that goes on in Roanoke as well. Um, the our guy up there, his name is Travis Wonderful dude. He's a veteran himself, so a lot of his programs are a lot more veteran focused up there. Um, but we're working on uh helping him expand the groups that he's serving into more um folks with disabilities and um with disabilities and inner city youth groups up there around the Roanoke area.
Speaker 1:Awesome, Awesome man, that's good stuff. So if people want to reach out, donate, volunteer, all that good stuff where can they find you guys?
Speaker 2:BeyondBoundariesRVAorg is our website, definitely going to be the best place to get all the information about us, whether you're looking to talk to us about partnerships, whether you're looking to get involved volunteer-wise, or if you just want to kind of learn more about who we are and what we do. Yeah, my email address george at beyondboundariesrvaorg. If you want to reach out to me directly, I'd be happy to chat with anybody. Answer questions about anything we do. I'd be happy to chat with anybody. Answer questions about anything we do, how we might be able to partner up with you. Yeah, always looking for new possibilities and new people that we can chat with.
Speaker 1:Good stuff. I love it. Man, Appreciate you coming on. I'm glad that hopefully we can help you guys spread the word about your great organization. So guys definitely check out the website. Definitely reach out to george. Uh, appreciate you being here today man.
Speaker 2:Hey sam, I think uh thank you so much for having me on, and I really appreciate the opportunity to uh talk to everyone about us and share our words absolutely appreciate you and we'll see you guys on the next episode.