The Vision of On A Limb Apparel

On A Limb Apparel is more than just an apparel company - our mission is to give back to others who are less able or interested in trying new things.  

I would love to partner with a nonprofit organization, local companies, or other giving institutions to help others try new things and grow as individuals, in similar ways that I have. Ideally I can give portions of all sales to one of these organizations. The vision that I have is to help people who want to do some of the following activities:

• Rock climb (this organization will help to give access to a climbing gym, intro class, and gear)
• Hike (help connect individuals to hiking groups and give them hiking boots and access to AllTrails or a similar app)
• Ski/Snowboard (help give access to winter ski gear, lessons, and day passes or annual passes)
• Bike (help provide access to a local bike shop, group rides, and even rental bikes and other necessary gear)

These are only a few of the activities that we love and are passionate about. There are dozens of other activities that we'd also love to support or find an organization to partner with, but these are the ones that are top of mind. Other ideas that we have are photography, music, parkour, camping, travel, and other sports but those would be further down the line.

The reason that I've grown so much is because of how I grew up. As a child, my family would go mountain biking, build sledding jumps, snowboard, and more. In middle school, high school, and college I did Tae Kwon Do, triathlons, whitewater rafting, ziplining through the Panama jungle, and did a 3-day bull riding course (where we rode ride real bulls at 15 years old, which I'd advise you maybe don't do). I started rock climbing in high school and continue to climb, growing and improving still to this day.

All of these activities showed me the ways that other people live as well as pushed my limits. Tae Kwon Do pushed me physically and taught me self control and self defense. Triathlons taught me the importance of preparation and not giving up even when you're physically drained - that you're stronger than you think you are. While whitewater rafting my family was all thrown out of the raft and our guide had to pull us all back in before immediately going into Class IV rapids, teaching me to remain cool under pressure.

Bull riding taught me that not all of your ideas are good ones, but you should still try things that scare you. I rode 3 bulls and lasted 7.5 seconds on my best ride - with only half a day preparation and lessons about how to actually bull ride. Not only did I push myself mentally, but I was also fortunate enough to see how some of the more intense careers are and how more rural lifestyles are. The camp was in rural Tennessee and everyone except three of us were actual bull riders trying to improve their skills; we were there for fun and were way out of our comfort zone.

Every situation and activity teaches you life skills, your limits, or shows you other people's way of life. Enjoy every moment while you're in the situation and when you look back on it you should be able to find a life lesson about yourself and others. 

As always, go out on a limb this week :) 

<3 Justin