Above: Brenton Exploring in Teton National Park, earlier this winter.
By Rob Shaul, 3.14.14
Brenton Reagan is an Exum Guide, Marmot Athlete, and a long time athlete of mine. A week ago he was promoted to Backcountry Guide at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, which is an awesome accomplishment by itself, and especially an individual who grew up in the southeast, and was an average skier just 3-4 years ago.
Brenton is a great example of something we’ve multiple times here. For aspiring or professional mountain athletes, and mountain professionals, like Brenton, their most important piece of equipment is their body, and its fitness. The professionalism it takes to commit to a the strength and conditioning we do at Mountain Athlete flows to all areas of their careers, resulting in steady, rapid, well-earned, career advancement. Everything gets better.
Brenton is a busy guy – Exum Guide, Marketing Director for Exum, new father. His Fall was super busy guiding, working, parenting, traveling, etc. But still he prioritized his fitness, and sacrificed sleep and massive soreness to make our super intense 4 day/week dry land ski cycle. Over the past 3 years Brenton has thrown himself into learning the craft of Ski Mountaineering.
He started at the bottom at the resort – an entry level ski instructor – and made sure to take advantage of every instructional course he could to improve his skiing.
Brenton is a Senior Exum Alpine Guide, but not Ski Mountaineering guide, and over the past couple years he’s audited/shadowed/helped with multiple ski mountaineering guide trips for Exum, observing, learning, improving.
He sacrificed time and money to attend AMGA Ski Mountaineering and advanced avalanche safety coursework.
Now all that work, all that sacrifice, all that professionalism, has resulted in Brenton becoming a full on Ski Mountaineering Guide at Exum – one of the most prestigious guide services in America, and a Backcountry Guide at JHMR – the best ski area in the US.
It is hard to describe what an honor it is for me to work with Brenton, and how happy I am for his success and accomplishments.
I tell my young mountain athletes all the time to stop looking for short cuts, and to start being professional about their careers. I point to Brenton as an example of what’s possible.
– Rob Shaul
