Prior to attending camp in 2016, I rarely talked about having cancer. I didn’t want it to define me. I didn’t do support groups, and I wasn’t involved in any cancer-related volunteering. Camp taught me that by pushing cancer to the background, I was missing out on a huge opportunity to help others through their own journey. Now, I talk about cancer all the time as the host of the Campfires of Hope podcast. I also volunteer at camp, help out with regional days, and edit all things written.
-Gail Fay aka Sunshine
My name is Jordan, aka Specs, a cancer survivor and volunteer with Epic Experience. I support the organization by developing surveys and analyzing the results to improve the program for future campers. Epic Experience means a lot of wonderful things to me, but more than anything else it means an opportunity to give my cancer survivor peers an opportunity to heal and rejuvenate their sense of self as the recover from cancer. Cancer is traumatic, and takes so much from the people who live through it. When I was recovering, Epic Experience reminded me that just because I was a cancer survivor, that doesn’t mean that I have to abandon any of the adventures that made me so happy before my diagnosis! I needed a reminder that cancer does not get to place artificial limitations on my life, and I hope my work supporting Epic Experience allows other survivors receive that same reminder in their own lives.
-Jordan Adams aka Specs
In an effort to give back after attending a week-long outdoor adventure camp, I became a member of the Epic Experience Alumni Team in 2016.
The Alumni Team is a group of former campers that functions as a sounding board for Epic Experience’s staff and helps with various administrative tasks “behind the scenes”.
About a year later, I was asked to serve on the Board of Directors and have been the board’s Secretary since. Being part of the BOD gives me an opportunity to give back on a larger scale and help shape Epic’s future from within.
In addition to the many organizational volunteer roles, I very much enjoy serving the cancer community through volunteering at summer camps, hosting regional one-day events in the NY/NJ/PA area, and supporting Epic Experience wherever help is needed. I was very honored to receive the “Louis (Stud) Chinn Volunteer of the Year” award in 2021.
Epic Experience is a fantastic organization that empowers adult cancer patients and survivors like me to live beyond cancer. I believe in the power of nature and togetherness, and love the family and community feeling they created.
-Sabine Schwab aka Bee