Today we’d like to introduce you to Dana Stricevic.
Hi Dana, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Dana Stricevic. I am 31 years old, born and raised in Chicago, Illinois and then moved to San Diego in 2016. I am the Founder and CEO of Crux Wilderness. Crux Wilderness is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit based out of San Diego. Our mission is to “provide veterans and their families with sustainable long term strategies for physical and mental health by engaging in outdoor activities.”
I started Crux Wilderness with my husband, Luke, a Marine Corps veteran. Luke and I wanted to start Crux Wilderness because it was a product of our own experience. We started getting out in the mountains for fun and then climbing grew into something more. Getting out of the military, Luke explored many outlets to help with his transition back to civilian life. For him, climbing provided the space to move forward beyond what he experienced in the military. He sought after big experiences and challenges because the military was such a big experience. Climbing became a healthy way for him to cope and focus on his mental and physical health and I was able to be a part of all of that as his partner; we bonded and grew closer because of climbing. I have my masters in social work and Luke is an AMGA certified guide and with that we created Crux Wilderness.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Aside from growing a small nonprofit during a global pandemic and the overall setbacks we have all experienced with that, I feel that we have really done our best. With the pandemic came challenges of fundraising and of course, we had to shut down all clinics. We are now back up running clinics and moving forward in a big way.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Crux Wilderness is a space for veterans, active military, and their families to gain insight and experience rock climbing outdoors. We focus on education and instruction because we want veterans to feel confident getting outdoors independently and with their friends and families. I think what makes our program unique is that we are really looking at the long term goal here. We understand that healing comes in many forms such as traditional clinical therapy, faith, exercise, whatever one prefers. What we provide is an opportunity for veterans to continue their growth within their own homes and with their networks. We want veterans to continue their daily routines; go to work, spend time with their families, catch up with their friends, and then come out with Crux Wilderness on the weekend for a day of climbing if they are available. There is no long term contracts with us, rather an opportunity to converse outside with other like minded individuals and that is what we believe will make a difference. Our thought is if a veteran can find an activity that requires positive mental and physical health such as rock climbing and the techniques that are involved in the sport such as mindfulness, breathing techniques, body awareness, fear assessment, etc. then these techniques can also be worked into their daily routines.
What matters most to you?
What matters most to us at Crux Wilderness, is providing the space for veterans to at least explore the option of rock climbing as a means of supporting their physical and mental health long term. Rock climbing is certainly not for everyone, but we believe it is worth the chance. We understand that the military will forever be a part of a veterans life and their families life, but we want to create a space for veterans to climb passed their peak, to know they are capable of so much more. Family and community are also an essential part of Crux Wilderness. For me, being a part of my husbands journey to finding rock climbing as a strategy for his mental health has been an empowering feeling. We wanted to involve family members to be a part of this mission because our families and community are inherently a part of our lives.
Contact Info:
- Email: Info@cruxwilderness.org
- Website: www.cruxwilderness.org
- Instagram: @cruxwilderness
- Facebook: @cruxwildernesstherapy
Image Credits:
Jeff Jones (Dana’s professional photo)
