Anyone
who reads my blog—even occasionally—knows I love adventure. In fact, I am on my way today to go white water rafting in Maine… class IV and V rapids! I love adventure, and thankfully for me,
I was motivated and influenced by some incredible people—starting with my six
brothers! Based on those positive experiences, I’m motivated to share with my
readers a new adventure opportunity that I recently discovered.

Please
read below about this great opportunity from the Coalition for Hemophilia B and
Emergent BioSolutions!

The Generation IX Project is a new adventure education program
being offered by the Coalition for Hemophilia B, with the support of Emergent BioSolutions.
This national mentoring training program for young adults and teens with
hemophilia B will provide them the opportunity to escape the everyday routine and learn some
adventure skills in an experiential program. The Generation IX Project is
designed to develop specific and tangible skills that will enhance the quality
of life and give a better sense of self to young adults with hemophilia B.

The leadership of the project is being
guided by Patrick Torrey, president and founder of Physis, Inc. Pat “Big
Dog” Torrey has been designing and delivering innovative experiential
education programs and trainings for over 15 years.  Pat started and runs
Physis.  Physis offers unconventional, adaptable, relationship-centered
adventure education programs that teach those with chronic medical conditions how
to lead rock-star lives.  He challenges and inspires people to explore
outside of their perceived limits and strive for excellence in their lives.
 He and his staff run trainings and consult within the bleeding disorder
community for camps, foundations, and conferences.  Physis has been
running some of the most successful, fun, and sought after programs in the
bleeding disorder community for close to a decade.  

Since its inception, Physis has worked to serve the
bleeding disorder community and seeks to continue developing programming that
empowers teens and young adults. This dynamic collaboration from Physis, the
Coalition, and Emergent is sure to create a life-changing experience for all
involved.

Calling All Mentors

If
you are an adult between the ages of 18 and 29 with hemophilia B, you have already experienced a lot of bumps in the road on
your way through your transition to independence. As a Generation IX mentor,
you’ll share your experience and the insights you’ve gained with a group of
teen mentees and have an amazingly important impact on their lives. You will begin
your training as soon as your application is accepted. You’ll be flown to a
multi-day retreat at beautiful Camp Collins, a state-of-the-art camp facility
just outside Portland, OR.  Camp Collins is home to villages of ‘out of the
ordinary’ cabins that are perched in the forest canopy connected by a walkway,
and contains one of the nation’s most diverse high ropes challenge courses. There, you’ll
participate in intensive onsite training and then host a mentorship retreat for
your teen mentees. The leadership skills and volunteer experience you will gain
will look great on your resume!

As a mentor, you will participate in a two-day experiential training program in interpersonal skill development and group dynamics, as you find your personal leadership style while you learn and live with a group of other motivated mentors. This is all in preparation for when you help
deliver a challenging and meaningful residential weekend program for a group of
teen mentees. The instructor team will help guide the process as you get to
immediately practice the skills learned.

Calling All Teens

The Generation IX Project gives you and other
teens (age 14-17 years) with hemophilia B an adventure and the experience
of a lifetime. You’ll learn solid skills from
Generation IX mentors a few years older, who also have hemophilia B and are
familiar with the many changes teens experience, such as heading off to
college, going off on their own, and taking more responsibility for their
treatment. These mentors will guide you
through a weekend of high ropes challenge course experiences, living in a
temperate rainforest, and connecting with other participants living with
hemophilia B from around the country. This is a chance to expand your life experiences,
improve your quality of life, and build your self-esteem—you might just be
amazed at what you can do!

Living with hemophilia B
is an ever-changing journey, and teens and young adults with hemophilia B are
becoming more independent than ever and
taking responsibility for their own care. The Generation IX Project sounds to me like a
fantastic opportunity to meet some of your peers and share your experiences.

Download additional
information and an application form here:

Send your completed application to Kim Phelan at hemob@ix.netcom.com at the Coalition for
Hemophilia B to lock in your spot. Applications are due  August 1st!
Get moving!

To learn more about how Emergent BioSolutions is
making a difference for people living with hemophilia B, register for
updates at www.ebsi.com/hemophiliab.