FORGING A PATH

Thomas Eaves ’07 combines his love of outdoor adventure with a desire to support young people’s access to the outdoors

NPR is what gets me out of the zone. It’s nice to hear people talking after a climb.”

Eaves’ motivation to be the first person in uncharted territory stems from his love for sharing the outdoors with others. It even led him to working with the Richmond nonprofit Blue Sky Fund which connects Richmond youth to the natural environments in the River City region.

“I partnered with the Blue Sky Fund because it’s encouraging children who need to be outdoors and making the outdoors accessible to them,” Eaves said. “They’re bringing the outdoors that’s close to us and turning it into something that actually has an impact on other people.”

As Eaves turns his focus towards his April climb, he will continue to get the word out about the sport. As Eaves described, everything about the sport is uncomfortable: physical and mental exhaustion come with the territory, but it’s something that all people can relate to when they’re pushing through adversity of any kind.

“It overlaps with so many different people in many different ways,” Eaves said. “What I love about this is I talk to athletes, veterans and people because it’s relatable. Talking about the outdoors breaks down barriers and that’s why I love talking to people about it.”

Thomas has found his love for the outdoors and continues to discover his path and new ones through his newfound passion. Within the passion, Trinity played its role in forming the persistent hiker.

“Trinity produces the caliber of person that puts a route on a mountain