We consider Christine the Community Collaborator of Desafio. Suresh and Christine both agree that he is the thinker and she is the doer -- she takes Suresh's big ideas and carries them into reality. Christine is also at the heart of all of the community outreach activities like the "Reto Reciclaje" or Desafio Recycling Challenge and the annual Easter Egg Hunt called the "Busqueda de Tesoros" for the community and regularly helps out with local schools. Here is an interview that outlines how Christine got to be where she is now:
Tell us about your background-education and experiences that have lead you to where you are now:
From a very young age, I always dreamed of living and working outside of the United States -- not that I necessarily had a game plan, I think I just wanted to be different. I remember being asked what I wanted to be when I grew up and I would respond "An International Diplomat..."
It sounded so exotic to be "international."
So, I guess it's not surprising I ended up in Costa Rica. And helping run a business in a foreign country is all about diplomacy - both my husband Suresh and I work hard to understand and embrace the culture we live in. And it takes quite a lot of diplomacy to navegate the sometimes challenging rules the Costa Rican government sets forth for doing business and making sure our employees are safe and happy.
What personal characteristics do you have that have made you successful?
Is luck a characteristic? I was lucky to have found Suresh and to have been in the right place at the right time. The Arenal Volcano was in the process of becoming an important place to visit in Costa Rica so Desafio just started to grow along with the town. But overall, I owe my success to having parents who encouraged me to pursue my dreams and to my husband who has the vision to keep the company moving forward.
Why adventure tourism?
I grew up in a very active community near Madison, Wisconsin called Waunakee -- 'The Only Waunakee in the World!' We have lakes, rivers, hills and it is said more bicycles per capita than anywhere else in the United States! My father started an ice hockey league when I was young and I later went on to play ice hockey for many years -- I was the only girl on the team! I am very competitive by nature and have always enjoyed a variety of outdoors activities.
I graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and won my election to the Madison City Council, served one term and focused my time in office on community development issues. I then lost my second election by 11 votes and was very disheartened by politics. I was then lucky enough to be hired for a job working as a guide for a pioneering adventure travel company called TrekAmerica and began taking my groups on thrilling whitewater rafting and mountain biking tours throughout the Americas before these activities where readily accepted as mainstream adventure activities fit for the whole family. It was a natural transition to be interested in Adventure Tourism in Costa Rica.
What is the best part about your job?
The people. We have an amazing group of people working for us. They are like family. And being able to create new and exciting adventures for clients and seeing that our clients come away satisfied is highly gratifying. After all, we are in the "happiness business." The coolest thing is hearing our clients say that they had a 'life-changing experience' on one of our tours.
What is the most-challenging part about running Desafio?
The Costa Rican government rules change often and the playing field is not always very level. As a responsible company, we make sure we have highly-trained, professional staff and that all of our employees have all of the benefits as required by law. In addition we have a high-level of insurance for our activities and safe, well-practiced logistics in case of emergency. We also pride ourselves on high-quality gear and modern transportation -- all of this can be very expensive and sometimes puts us at a disadvantage compared to other outfitters who don't follow the same rules.
What sets Desafio apart from the other tour companies?
Experience makes the difference. We are the pioneering adventure company here and have been doing this for over 20 years now and Suresh and I both come from adventure backgrounds. We are integrally involved in the daily operation of our company -- Suresh and I breathe, eat, sleep Desafio... We wouldn't have it any other way!
Where do you see Desafio 5 years from now?
We hope to continue having a safe operation and keep reinvesting in our staff and our infrastructure.
What to you is a perfect day in Arenal?
A perfect day is when everyone gets back from their tours and transportation safe and happy. There is nothing more-fulfilling than that!
Cart
