Rick Sweitzer Crete, Greece
Executive Director

Passion can only describe his 26 years pursuing adventure. Having left no corner of our globe untouched and continuing to explore Rick is sure to share his love through confidence, experience and an uncanny knack for spinning the "fun meter". Never one to settle for the modest in 2010 Rick has already achieved a lifetime of firsts reaching the summit of "the big one" Denali with his 15 year old son, exploring the Galapagos Islands and planning on a full circumnavigation of the island chain of Thira including Santorini. Making adventure dreams a reality is not just the goal but a way of life. Make sure to join Rick on his next adventure. Click here for more.

Keith Heger Greenland Crossing
Program Director
Guide & Instructor

Growing up on Lake Michigan, I often searched the horizon for something that would help me define the unknown. As my horizon expanded beyond the Chicagoland community I continued to wander in search of that unknown.

Searching has taken me throughout the world- North, South and Central America, Western Europe, the Mediterranean, Antarctica and the Arctic. In that time, I have worked to gain skills in wilderness travel, group dynamics and leadership. Skills such as sea kayaking, white water kayaking, rafting, canoeing, skiing, snowboarding, rock climbing, mountaineering & sailing have aided in my search. Helping fuel the passion is the reward of introducing people to the unknown. I invite you to come join me!

My favorite part of working here is the people- the people I speak with on the phone about potential trips, the guests who come on the trips, our hosts at the small family owned inns where we stay in Crete, our phenomenal staff of part-time instructors and guides. It's all about people having fun and I feel so grateful that I get to be part of that on a daily basis.

Ryan Allen Crete, Greece
Guide & Instructor

In this day and age the possibilities for travel are endless.  I'm lucky to have adventurous parents who took me to Mexico and around the American West while I was a kid.  This seemed to have planted a desire within me, and I continue to travel thanks to their lead.  I started working at The Northwest Passage in 2003 and over the years have been able to visit many exotic places as a result.  The experiences have been phenomenal! 
I've been able to interact with locals from many cultures, and share with other adventurers on holiday.  I try to share my fortuitous adventures with others in the form of stories, photos, and souvenirs  While the lifestyle of being a guide is not an easy one, I feel lucky and often have to pinch myself to make sure that what I'm experiencing is a reality.  As an instructor, I take my job seriously and seek out education to support my ability to teach.  I've worked with many experienced mentors over the years to continue to improve many technical skills and methods for teaching them to future newbies.  Oh yeah, and I like to have a ton of Fun too! 

Cheers to everyone with an adventurous spirit and the willingness to help protect Earth's beautiful venues for future generations!" 

Susan Thomson Lake Michigan
Guide & Instructor

I have been guiding for the Northwest Passage for the past six years.  My love for the outdoors started as a child because I grew up in rural southwest Pennsylvania where the opportunities for outdoor adventure were endless.  My childhood home was just a few miles from the Youghiogheny River and surrounded by creeks and forest.  As a child, I spent countless hours and days playing in the forests and swimming in the local creeks and the “Yough”. 

After graduating from Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, I devoted many years to a career as an investment advisor.  The work was interesting and my clients were wonderful, but I felt like a prisoner in an air-conditioned office. As the years passed, I found myself staring out the window and longing for the outdoors. 
Finally, the thought of spending another day indoors became absolutely unbearable, so I transitioned into a career as a personal fitness trainer and earned a British Canoe Union certification for kayaking and my Wilderness First Responder Certification.  This life change allows me to help others stay healthy and spend plenty of time hiking, skiing and paddling in the great outdoors. 

For me, it doesn’t matter whether the day is sunny with low humidity and blue skies, or if the temps are below zero with blowing snow.  Outdoors is always the best place to be, and I enjoy sharing that love with others.   

Kristin Andrews Mexico Yoga
Yoga InstructorI first stepped onto the yoga mat in 1998 at my health club however it wasn’t until I stepped back onto my mat (with a persistent friend) at a studio with an inspiring teacher in 2001 that I developed a dedicated yoga practice.  I came to yoga looking for a “physical” workout and found so much more with all the benefits of the emotional, mental and spiritual “side-effects”.  In 2004, I completed my Hatha Yoga Teaching Training Certification with Suddha Weixler founder of the Chicago Yoga Center.  I continue to deepen & expand my knowledge by participating in teacher trainings and workshops.  I have also studied with Mac McHugh, John Friend, Rolf Gates, Manju Jois, Martin & Jordan Kirk, Amy Ippoliti, Noah Maze and Desiree Rumbaugh just to name a few.  I will be forever grateful for my “persistent friend” and all the inspiring teachers & students I have had the opportunity to study and practice with.  Whether I'm teaching Niyama Hot Yoga™, Gentle Yoga, or Vinyasa Flow my main focus is my students connection to their growth/experience of their own essence while keeping them safe on their mat by educating them with correct alignment (based on the Anusara Universal Principles of Alignment).  When I’m not teaching yoga I’m massaging.  I have my own private practice (massage & private yoga instruction) at WellSpring Integrative Medicine located downtown Evanston, since 2002.  I have been studying and practicing Shiatsu since 1999; completed over 700 hours of training and am certified from the Ohashiatsu Institute in New York, NY/Evanston, IL, Soma Veda Thai Yoga Massage, Flying Shiatsu, Lymphatic Drainage, Hot Stone Massage Therapy and Reiki.  My hearts intention is helping people heal thru massage and yoga instruction.  I integrate many techniques in a holistic approach to ensure the receiver is able to gain access to their own inner healing ability in order to obtain a deeper connection within their body, mind & spirit. I not only listen to what my clients/students are saying but also to what their body's are communicating and meet them exactly where they are in growth and development with compassion, encouragement and reverence.Namaste,

Kristin Andrews
Shiatsu/Thai Yoga Massage Therapist; Yoga Instructor
www.shiatsuthaiyogamassage.com

Chris Paustian What's SUP? Lake Michigan
Assistant Program Director
Guide & Instructor

How to pursue serenity in the Earth’s wild places (or, my fortunate life in outdoor world):
First:
Make sure to get born into a family that appreciates and respects the outdoors.
Second:
Get hooked young. Experience the thrill of car camping and leisurely bike rides or hikes through state parks.
Third:
Don’t let your older brothers leave you behind. When they learn to SCUBA dive, go on backpacking expeditions and paddle whitewater in canoes, you’d better tag along.
Fourth:
Surround yourself with respectful and respectable outdoor people who love to share their passion for the wilderness.
Fifth:
Share your passion for the wilderness.
Sixth:
Learn as much as you can about thriving in the outdoors and don’t forget to stretch your limits from time to time.
Always:
Revisit the thrills of short state park rides and hikes.
Always:
Appreciate and respect the outdoors.
Always:
Remember that you are small and the wilderness is big. Discover that it’s great to be small.

Bethany Kondiles Lake Michigan
Guide & Instructor

Unlike most of our guides, I was a lame kid who was afraid of bugs and never slept (or peed) outside.  Yet, when I discovered climbing in college, it opened a whole world to me I never knew, and I learned just how great it is to sleep on a tarp under the stars.

I’ve been guiding for The Northwest Passage for several years, and though I started out solely as a rock climbing guide, I’m happy and grateful that The Northwest Passage has opened many doors to me.  Since 2008, I’ve expanded my guiding skills to kayaking and stand up paddle boarding (even though (don’t tell) climbing will always be my greatest love).

When I’m not getting dirty with The Northwest Passage, my big kid job is in traumatic brain injury research.  My favorite outdoor accomplishments includes my first alpine summit, Colchuck Peak in Washington (2010), and climbing all over the country.

Will Thomson Apostle Islands, WI
Guide & Instructor

As a young kid growing up on the North Shore I have always been looking for escapes and new places to explore.  Starting at a young age I had an active role in Boy Scouts which naturally led me to The Northwest Passage.  I have been assisting and leading trips for about the past 6 years and have been to almost every trip or program that we offer in the Midwest.  As my paddling skills improved my horizon expanded to not only sea kayaking but to rock climbing and white water kayaking as well.

Bonnie Perry Lake Michigan
Guide & Instructor

Ours was an outdoor military family. We were stationed in some fabulous places, including California, Hawaii and Virginia. I learned how to snorkel when I was 8, surf when I was 9 and hike along the Appalachian Trail when I was 12.

I'm a BCU Coach 3, an ACA Open Water Coastal Kayak Instructor and a Wilderness First Responder. I also have the ACA Instructor Eskimo Rolling endorsement. In addition to teaching paddling with the European paddle I also teach the Inuit paddling style that uses the traditional narrow wooden blade. (That's the paddle I'm using in the picture.)I love kayaking and there is nothing that delights me more than introducing other people to the sport.

When I'm not paddling or rolling my boat I'm the senior pastor of All Saints' Episcopal Church-where I'm happy to say-a significant number of the parishioners share my love of kayaking.

Mike Agostinelli Crete, Greece
Guide & Instructor

Mike has been "loving" the outdoors while hiking, biking, skiing, canoeing, kayaking, and camping for more than 20 years. He is an ACA certified kayak instructor as well as an EMT-P, a certification Mike has had for 12 years. Mike is a firefighter as well as a massage therapist and personal trainer making for some great experiences out on trips!

Mike's contributions on our Inn-to-Inn Sea Kayaking trips in Crete, Greece, have earned him countless honors among participants and peers.

My association with NWP has helped me develop the discipline to master skills to venture outside my little world. In the spirit of wanting to 'give back
something', I assist at Northwest Passage with the hope of inspiring just one person to take a step outside their own little world.