PEORIA'S ORIGINAL OUTDOOR STORE. SINCE 1971.

A member of the team since:
Fall of 2007.

What outdoor sports do you enjoy?
Give me water or snow and I'm game. I also enjoy traveling and camping

What's your favorite product or brand in the store and why?
Patagonia. I worked for them as my college internship. I have total respect for Yvon's vision and passion and the fact that he's maintained that throughout all of those years.

What outdoor competitions have you participated in?
I'm not really into competing. I've done beer league softball, track 'n' field, partial triathlons and the occasional paper airplane contest.

What's your greatest achievement?
All my adventures in Africa — leaving my mark (and stomach contents) on Mt Kilimanjaro; rafting the Nile; and bungee jumping off Victoria Falls.

What's your nickname and what's the story behind it?
I've got two — Nashipae, the name given to me by the Maasai women in Kenya, and Tufler-bludder-udder, the name given to me by my brother at age 10.

What's a sport/outdoor lesson you learned the hard way?
Drink more water!!

What's the strangest request you ever got from a customer?
To try on active wear bra to determine the proper size for a customer who said that the person they were buying it for "looked my size."

Tell us how you went out of your way to help a customer.
Tried on a flippin' bra (see above).

Name the next item you're planning to buy from the store and why?
The pistil hat and smartwool headband are on my wish list. I'm also looking at a pfd vest and osprey pack for my next trip to Ontario.

What's your most useful advice for someone who's buying a piece of equipment for the first time?
Research it and try it out if possible.

What music do you chill to?
I think I was supposed to be born when Johnny Cash, Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan were starting out.

What music do you race to?
I was made fun of the other day for not having and iPod, touch or whatever, but if I did have one, I'd listen to African or Latin music for training.

What's the best advice anyone ever gave you?
When you squat, make sure your shoes are pointing downhill.

What new sport would you like to try and why?
Telemark skiing. I've always admired it since living in Colorado.