George Appenzeller, a licensed clinical social worker, combined his love of the outdoors with a knack for working with youth when he co-founded the Challenge Adventures program in 1989. He was excited about the potential for bringing younger youth into the wilderness by using llamas as pack animals. He also recognized that these gentle animals could help reach troubled youth and quickly became adept in the use of animal assisted therapy. An experienced woodsman, tracker, and story-teller, George keeps campers interested in the natural world around them. When trekkers discover an animal track, George can usually identify it. He has experience in the US military, private business, research, government administration and Boy Scout leadership. For fun, he enjoys politics, and backpacking in remote parts of the world, like Siberia, New Zealand, Patagonia and Mongolia. He is married to co-founder Sarah Meadows and they have five children and six grandchildren. He takes an active role in consulting training staff, training new llamas and leading treks.

Sarah Meadows, MSW, LISW-AP
Since receiving her master’s degree at the University of South Carolina, Sarah Meadows has worked as a trainer, teacher, researcher and wilderness group leader. She is a licensed social worker. Her knack for identifying bird calls can alert trekkers about the birds that they hear in the woods and she can locate hidden thickets of blueberries. Along with her husband George, she co-founded Challenge Adventures in 1989, and quickly realized the special dimension that llamas can bring to outdoor adventures. When not on the trail, she enjoys gardening, travel and spinning. The llamas are glad to contribute their wool. She is involved in consulting and training, training staff, preparing new llamas to do their jobs on the trail and in occasionally leading treks.

Other Staff
All Challenge Adventure staff are mature people, licensed as psychotherapists or working on their degrees. Many are volunteers, and Challenge Adventures is always looking for additional volunteer staff with these credentials. They have completed training on trail and emergency procedures and are certified in at least Wilderness First Aid.