Every step considered.
Growing up rurally, I was fortunate to spend my childhood connected to nature. Weekends were often spent camping with family, riding bikes, exploring creeks and learning that some of life’s best lessons happen outside.
In year 7 rock climbing became an obsession. Lunch times throughout high school were spent climbing, hanging upside down from the school gymnasium ceiling beams and retrieving ‘stuck’ sports balls. Alongside mountain biking and competing in the Lake Mountain Mini Series cross country ski events, a passion for adventure was taking shape.
And eventually overseas to work at a summer camp in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains. From Yosemite Valley and the towering granite walls of El Capitan and Half Dome, the journey continued through Scotland and Europe. During the uncertainty following September 11, Scotland became a place of quiet adventure—riding mountain bikes, walking the West Highland Way solo and exploring the rugged beauty of the Highlands.
A visit to Switzerland to reconnect with a school friend changed everything. One Easter weekend in a small mountain hut deep in the Alps sparked a lifelong
connection to the European mountain lifestyle. The skiing, mountaineering, backcountry adventures and alpine culture left a lasting impression.
In 2010, I took a hiatus from outdoor education to pursue a career in Helicopter Search and Rescue. Becoming a qualified Search and Rescue (SAR) Winchman led to an adrenaline-filled career in which I loved being part of the crew. I will never forget the moment you say to the pilot ‘below 60 (knots) clear for doors’ which means open the doors of the helicopter while flying and prepare for the rescue part of the mission. Those years significantly elevated my experience in emergency management, risk assessment, decision-making and operating in high-pressure environments where outcomes truly mattered.
A specialist volunteer organisation deployed by the Victoria Police Search and Rescue Squad. Our members regularly conduct searches and rescues throughout Victoria’s alpine regions, including Mount Feathertop, Mount Bogong and the Bogong High Plains. The mountain knowledge, navigation skills and operational experience developed through this work continue to shape the way we approach outdoor education and expedition leadership.
Returning to Outdoor Education full-time in 2016 brought my family and I to Mount Beauty. Since then, the surrounding mountains have become an extension of home. Whether running and hiking remote trails in summer, skiing groomed tracks and backcountry terrain in winter, or exploring lesser-known corners of the Alpine National Park, we have developed a deep connection with this landscape and the people who call it home.
Outdoor education has always been my true calling. Sure Step Ventures brings together everything learned along the way—more than two decades of outdoor education, international guiding, expedition leadership, search and rescue operations and a lifelong passion for adventure. Today we create experiences that are professional in delivery, personal in approach and deeply connected to the places we visit. We believe the outdoors has the power to build resilience, curiosity, confidence and connection—not only to nature, but to each other.
After 10+ years at YMCA Howmans Gap, a set of unusual opportunities arose and aligned, leading me to seriously consider starting my own business. Sure Step Ventures is the result.
