Anna Soens

Ambassador and 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 Doelling

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 and 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

Ravi (he/him) lost both of his legs at 14 after being hit by a train. Being a local Central Oregonian his parents found OAS and applied for a scholarship. He first skied with OAS in January 2009, after his lesson he skied all day with his Dad and became hooked! In 2011 Rave was invited to compete at Winter X Games in Aspen, in 2015 he won the Bronze in MonoX. Afterwards he began alpine training with the National Ability Center at Park City and now is a Para-Alpine national team member.

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 and 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.

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 lab shepherd mix, Edgar. 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.

Melodie Buell

Education and Training Manager

Having never skied, Melodie (she/her) begged to be taken for her 5th birthday. That passion for skiing has taken her to a life she loves.  Today, Melodie is a current member of the PSIA-AASI National Team.  In addition, she is an Adaptive and Alpine examiner for the NW Region, and serves on a variety of Regional and National leadership Taskforces, developing content and opportunities to help instructors across the US evolve their quality of teaching. She joined OAS in 2008. When Melodie is not on snow, she is usually riding her bike, researching human behavior, practicing artistic creativity, or connecting with our communities. You’ll find her outside, most of the time and with her pup Jette.

Hayley McClure

Program Manager

Born and raised in Portland, OR, Hayley (she/her) studied Outdoor Leadership and Natural Resource Management at Oregon State Cascades and joined the OAS team in 2019. Hayley is the first point of contact for many OAS athletes and volunteers scheduling every activity that OAS offers throughout the year. Hayley and her dog Walker can be found adventuring throughout the state, especially on Oregon’s iconic rivers and trails in the summer months.

Charlotte Dadabay

Lead Community Facilitator

Charlotte(she/her) is from Boise, Idaho. She received her degree in Outdoor Education and Recreation at Idaho State University. During college, she worked for the campus outdoor and adaptive program as a trip leader and winter alpine instructor. After college, she’s continued to work in many aspects of the outdoor industry throughout the PNW. She started volunteering for OAS in 2018 and started instructing in 2020. This last winter of 2023, she joined the administrative team as the Lead Community Facilitator. She’s thrilled to be apart of OAS in a greater capacity as well as continuing to share her passion to folks of all abilities to move and get outside! When she’s not at work, you’ll find her with her pup, Darla (who she rescued while working on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana) out exploring or listening to local music!

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 and 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.