Introducing Joanne Pflepsen

I would like to introduce you to Joanne Pflepsen. After experiencing a fun season with Joanne out at our programs, I felt inspired to share her story. She rode 21 miles during one of our cycle rides on the Orting Trail; she hiked 3 miles on the rugged Clear West Peak trail at Mt. Rainer. All this, while overcoming breast cancer treatment! 

When asked why she likes to participate in our programs, she said “I like to ski in the winter. I love getting outdoors and I like the mountain weather”.

Joanne first got involved with our downhill ski program in 1984. Her sister had given her a gift certificate to attend lessons with Outdoors for All. She was hooked right away and has been Alpine and Nordic skiing with us ever since! She likes both sports, and for many seasons has alternated between downhill and cross country skiing. Lately, she has settled on cross country skiing as her sport of choice. Her favorite place to ski is at the Stevens Pass Nordic Center.

Joanne also likes to cycle and hike. Her favorite place to ride is the Orting Foothills trail in Orting. Her favorite hike is the Iron Goat Trail. She enjoys experiencing the trails with others.

What keeps her coming back year after year? “The opportunity to meet new people”. She commented that she would never be able to participate in these activities on her own. She says that participating in Outdoors for All programs has improved other areas of her life as well.

Joanne loves her job at Ben Bridge (local jeweler). She’s worked there since March of 1998. She is a file clerk, which means she bundles the daily reports and puts them into a file drawer. She says “I like my job and wouldn’t think about finding another one! I like meeting new people.” She just got a pay raise and was excited to tell me that! Her co-workers were so amazed that she came to work during her chemotherapy treatment. As you can see, Joanne is very dedicated to her work!

In her free time, Joanne likes to read, watch TV, explore the internet and travel with her sister.

-Randee Young, Program Director