Biography
Farmer has a solid background in all disciplines of climbing. He particularly enjoys long alpine rock and ice climbs as well as ski-mountaineering. This emphasis is reflected in his enthusiasm for sharing with others the challenges and subsequent rewards of moving through technical terrain in the mountains. Level III avalanche certification and medical training such as EMT and OEC certifications compliment his diverse skills as a climber and guide. These qualifications, along with his B.S. in Geology, with which he says he can "B.S. about geology as long as you want," form a core of competence that ensures a fun time in the mountains whatever the itinerary. Farmer is a UIAGM-certified mountain guide (UIAGM is the International Federation of Mountain Guides Association) having earned his American Mountain Guide Association Rock, Alpine and Ski Guide certifications.

"I joined the Big Expedition for Cancer Research because the idea of climbing as a metaphor for not just cancer research but for living life resonates within me. Of course, I am intrigued by the material opportunities presented by a climb backed by the Hutchinson Center, but the symbolic and emotional ties I have to the Center provide me with far greater motivation for involvement. My father was a patient involved in two experimental stem cell transplants at the Hutchinson Center over the course of 10 months in 2002. While ultimately unsuccessful in eliminating his cancer, it was not only a spirit of self preservation which led my father to treatment options at the Hutch, but the idea that as a participant in a medical trial he was helping to advance knowledge of this multifaceted disease that would ultimately benefit all those affected by it.

"It is only by investigating the seemingly impossible that we give ourselves the opportunity to discover new avenues revealed from previously undiscovered perspectives. Be it in medical research, climbing, or our everyday lives overcoming our fears and exploring the vast possibilities presented by the unknown is what makes us human, what makes us alive."

SEE ALSO:

Dawn Glanc
Kevin Mahoney
Bayard Russell Jr.