Meet the team of OAS ambassadors, instructors, and administrative staff!
Ambassadors of #OASStoke
OAS ambassadors are individuals who experience a disability and have engaged with OAS as athletes and/or volunteers. Their accomplishments range from three time Paralympian to first known Disabled ascent with sit ski descent of Mt Hood. Ambassadors represent OAS in the community through outreach opportunities to educate others on the OAS mission and programs.
Anna Soens
Ambassador & Winter Instructor
Anna Soens (she/her) is happiest outside. Snow or dirt, mountains or rivers. You’ll find Anna exploring and enjoying central Oregon (and beyond) while skiing, mountain biking, rafting, sailing, and climbing. She’s been an avid member of the OAS community since a climbing accident in 2015. Anna works as a wildlife biologist focused on local threatened and endangered species, and thus prays for snow for both personal and professional reasons. In her spare time, Anna can be found talking about/to chickens, falling asleep before it is socially acceptable, and making questionable choices like climbing mountains.
Carl Burnett
Ambassador & Winter Instructor
Carl (he/him) brings big dad energy to any ski hill, bike trail, or pub trivia night. Skiing has been a major force for good in his life since being injured in a car accident at age 5. He raced with the U.S. Adaptive Alpine Ski Team from 1999 until 2010, competing in three Paralympics before retiring to earn a master’s in library and information science and begin a career in the field of knowledge engineering. These days he’s likely to be found on obscure parts of Mt. Bachelor, relishing the variable snow conditions. A Maine native, Carl has called the Northwest home since 2008. He lives in Bend with a wife, a kid, and a high-energy pup named Rosie.
Danielle Watson
Ambassador
Danielle Watson (she/her) has been a participant and advocate for Oregon Adaptive Sports since becoming paraplegic from a rock climbing fall in 2011. She has always been an active adventurer and loves travel and being outdoors. OAS helped Danielle learn to mono ski after her accident, which she loves dearly. She has also fallen in love with hand cycling, both on and off road. She is on an all-women’s hand cycling team and travels the country and world competing in road races. Danielle is happy to be back in Bend after competing her masters in occupational therapy and works as a hand therapist helping others rehabilitate.
Gabriel Rousseau
Ambassador
Gabe (he/him) is a lifelong alpine skier who enjoys sailing and putting a tent down in new places during the summer. Born in Bend, he has seen his community grow and change in remarkable and unique ways. Diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy in the early 90’s he has been riding a sit ski and has been active in the adaptive sports community since 1996. He holds a masters degree in Urban & Regional Planning and a graduate certificate in Geographic Information Systems. You can find him charging the mountain or likely devouring tacos. He approaches each day with relentless optimism and is extroverted about sharing his perspective.
Ravi Drugan
Ambassador
Hi! After being hit by a train and losing both my legs at 14, my parents introduced me to skiing through a scholarship we received through Oregon Adaptive Sports, here in Bend, near Mt. Bachelor and Hoodoo. My first day in January 2009, after my lesson, I skied with my Dad all day and was hooked. In 2011, I was invited to compete at Winter X Games in Aspen, where in 2015 I won the Bronze in MonoX. With no MonoX at Winter X Games, I began Alpine training with the National Ability Center at Park City. Now a Para Alpine National Team member and competing in the Paralympics in Beijing, I am looking forward to training for Milan/Cortina 2026!
Administrative Team
The OAS administrative team works year round to support the programs, operations, fundraising, marketing, and various other essential responsibilities of the organization. While you are likely to find this team behind their desk at the OAS World HQ or in meetings across the community, you’ll also find them teaching on skis or bikes throughout the year supporting the growth and independence of OAS athletes.
Cara Frank
Development Director
Preferred language: American Sign Language (ASL)
Cara (she/her) hails from Colorado but grew up in the great Pacific Northwest. Cara was born Deaf and understands firsthand the challenges faced by those whose disabilities are not always readily apparent. She brings over 15 years of experience working with adaptive outdoor programs throughout the Western region and more recently, the unequaled experience of coordinating international logistics for the US Deaflypmic Ski & Snowboard Team.
When she’s not working, you’ll find her exploring irresistible plant-based recipes, doing DIY home projects, nerding out over the natural world and advancing state-wide initiatives for members of the Deaf, Deafblind and Hard of Hearing community. Cara lives in Redmond with her husband.
Hayley McClure
Program Manager
Born and raised in Portland, OR, Hayley (she/her) studied Tourism and Outdoor Leadership at Oregon State Cascades and joined the OAS team in 2019 after working in the healthcare industry. Hayley is the first point of contact for many OAS athletes and volunteers scheduling every activity that OAS offers throughout the year. Hayley, her partner Josh, and dog Walker can be found adventuring throughout the state, especially on Oregon’s iconic rivers in the summer months.
Jared ApJoke
Equipment Manager
Jared (he/him) and his wife have recently settled in Central Oregon after years in the high country of Colorado. He is a proud parent of two amazing daughters and a St. Bernard, Whiskey. A former Marine, educator, business owner and executive, he has found what he believes are the two most important things in life. Being outside and helping others achieve their goals. An avid snowboarder, rafter, disc golfer, mountain biker and traveler, he is ecstatic to join the OAS community. He looks forward to getting to know the entire team and helping in as many ways he can.
Joe Jackson
OAS Mt Ashland Program Coordinator
Joe (he/him) is peaked. After volunteering for adaptive sports programs and working with the disability community for 15 years he is getting to live out his dream of facilitating adaptive ski lessons on his home mountain of Mt. Ashland. Joe lives in Ashland, OR with his equally pumped family—wife Sarah and 5-year-old ‘lil ripper Jojo.
Samy Metcalf
Marketing Coordinator
Samy (she/her/he/him) relocated to Oregon in 2021 after graduating from Northern Michigan University with a degree in Graphic Design and Marketing. After two years in Corvallis working with other non-profits and instructing skiing at Hoodoo. Samy is excited to join the OAS team and continue exploring Oregon while supporting our mission. You may spot them at our programs capturing your adventures, feel free to say hello to the camera! Outside of work they can be found running, biking, hiking different trails or at home with their rabbit, Winnie.
Leah Persichilli
Program Director
As East coast transplant, Leah (she/her) has lived most of her adult life in northern Arizona, South Lake Tahoe and Central Oregon. Her diverse outdoor background ranges from professional ski patrol, horse-pack & backpack guide/cook in southern Utah, geology assistant on the Colorado River Grand Canyon, and surf camp in southern California to name a few! However, her most adventurous job so far is raising two kids! Leah loves skiing, running and all of the “usual” Bend activities as well as growing food, cooking, canning, keeping chickens and bees, and all manner of urban farming. A passion for outdoor adventure and a strong belief in the inclusion of people of ALL abilities brings her to the OAS team.
Kendall Cook
Hoodoo Program Coordinator
Kendall grew up ski racing in Montana and was introduced to adaptive skiing in Breckenridge in 1993. After a stint at the Tahoe Adaptive Ski School, he moved up to Bend in 1996 with a group of instructors to form what would become Oregon Adaptive Sports. Kendall has served in almost every role at OAS from volunteer to board president. Sharing his passion for outdoor pursuits with adaptive athletes has been a highlight of his life. Climbing, skiing, mountain biking, hiking in the mountains and playing backgammon with his daughter are some of his favorite activities.
Melodie Buell
Education & Training Manager
Having never skied, Melodie (she/her) begged to be taken for her 5th birthday. That passion for skiing has taken her far. Today Melodie has her Adaptive Level III, Alpine Level III certifications, Children’s Specialist 1 and serves as an Adaptive examiner, and Alpine examiner-in-training for the PSIA AASI Northwest Region. Nationally, she has helped develop the Adaptive Alpine Certification Pathways and Specialist Standards and the Teaching Adaptive Snowsport e-learning courses for PSIA-AASI. She also serves on the Adaptive National Taskforce. She joined OAS in 2008. When Melodie is not on the mountain, she is either riding her bike, researching human behavior, building her ample creativity, or connecting. You’ll find her outside, most of the time and with her pup Jette.
Pat Addabbo
Executive Director
Pat (he/him) joined the OAS team in 2016 after spending five years helping direct programs at the Adaptive Sports Center in Crested Butte, CO and two years serving as Youth and Chapter Services Coordinators with Move United. Pat has a background in outdoor adventure education and has a degree in Outdoor Leadership and History from Warren Wilson College in Asheville, NC. Pat believes the key to a happy and fulfilling life is spending time in nature and the outdoors and thus is often found outside on a bike, skis, or trail, usually with his corgi Griffin and wife Hannah alongside.
Mountain Ops & Instructors
Where the skis hit the snow and the tires hit the singletrack you will encounter this incredible team of talented and compassionate instructors and mountain operations teams. With dozens of years of experience, countless certifications, and endless stoke for sharing the joy of moving through the mountains, the instructor and mountain ops team are at the forefront of the OAS mission.