Presentations

This show is all about Rovers: Who we are, what activities we do, all the ways in which we play outside. There will be a fun video, showcasing many of the activities that Rovers enjoy. Afterward, participants will have an opportunity to go into breakout rooms with Rovers who participate in specific activities, everything from backpacking to paddling to hiking to climbing to biking, and any other outdoor activity you can imagine. This is your chance to ask questions, get to know Rovers who love the same activities you love or maybe who mentor new members in activities that you want to try.

An ambassador for the Alliance for the Great Lakes will present on the importance of protecting the Great Lakes ecosystem (how much fresh water/drinking water it supplies, etc.), the work the Alliance does, issues facing the Great Lakes, and how audience members can join us in protecting the Great Lakes (through actions like taking part in our Adopt-a-Beach beach cleanup program and other efforts).

The Alliance for the Great Lakes is a nonpartisan nonprofit working across the region to protect our most precious resource: the fresh, clean, and natural waters of the Great Lakes.

Andrea Knepper is a licensed clinical social worker and is founder and Director for Chicago Adventure Therapy, a nonprofit which provides outdoor adventure experiences to at risk Chicago inner-city youth. In October of 2015 she earned her 5 Star Sea Leader Award, becoming one of 7 women in the country to hold the award. In August of 2016 she became the second American to earn the UKCC Level 3 Coach Award. She also holds a 3 Star in Open Canoe and in Whitewater Kayak, and her ACA L3 Instructor Certification. In 2019 she paddled the length of the US Pacific West Coast.

Octogenarian, cross-country cyclist, and motivational speaker Lin Bruce  shares her late-blooming, against-the-odds, cross-country cyclist success story. At 60 years old she went from cycling across town to cycling across the continent. In the decades since, she’s biked 30,000 trip miles. Her unique presentation combines storytelling at its best with the occasional song to entertain and inspire her audiences.

About Our Speaker:

Personal Empowerment Speaker Lin Bruce is a late blooming cross-country bicyclist, whose first transcontinental ride was in honor of her 60th birthday in 1999. Using stories of her bicycle adventures as a metaphor for “reaching bigger” in one’s life, Lin encourages people of any age to reach beyond perceived limitations, “stretching for ways to bring more life to your days.” When Lin went from biking across town to biking across the country, she shifted the scope of her dreams, discovering “the next big adventure” expands one’s sense of possibility. Entertaining her audience with heartfelt stories and the occasional song, Lin encourages her audiences to keep “engaging while aging.”