Like his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Sam grew up canoeing in the lake country of Minnesota and Canada. After a hiatus as a sea kayaking instructor in New Zealand, he returned to the waterways of Ontario and Manitoba and the delights of single-blade paddling. Sam has worked as a chef, health coach, and EMT. He lives in Minneapolis with his partner Emily and their five best friends, where he eats home-cooked meals every night of the week (but only has to cook one of them). Sam loves the robust community that can evolve during a NOLS wilderness medicine course. When not teaching for NOLS, he helps run Camp Chippewa, a non-profit camp started by his family in 1935. Sam is an avid soccer player and loves the Minnesotan outdoors. Sam is an EMT, and holds bachelor degrees in biology and environmental studies.