Mountain Challenge celebrates 20th anniversary

March 15, 2007
Prepared by: Laura Palmer '07 and Holley Roberts '07
Contact: Jessica Abbott, Communications Assistant
865.981.8085; jabbott@maryvillecollege.edu

Mountain Challenge will celebrate its 20th anniversary April 20-21. A celebration dinner, beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 20, is planned for former and current students and Mountain Challenge participants from the surrounding community. A Mountain Challenge jamboree will be held on Sat., April 21.

Invitees to the celebration dinner on April 20 will be treated to a “Mountain Challenge style” buffet dinner, a slideshow capturing memories from the past 20 years, and comments from attendees. The Mountain Challenge jamboree on April 21 offers opportunities, for both the MC community and the attendees, to participate in traditional events such as climbing the Alpine Tower, hiking through the Smoky Mountains or rafting down the river.

Founded by Bruce Guillaume in 1987, Mountain Challenge strives to “provide high-quality, safe outdoor experiences designed to change the world for the better, one person at a time.” Guillaume graduated with a bachelor’s of arts in psychology from Maryville College, a master’s degree in social work from the University of Tennessee and a post-graduate degree from the Kentucky University School of Medicine.

Outdoor activities during graduate school and working at the North Carolina Outward Bound School are what sparked and fueled Guillaume’s interest in creating Mountain Challenge. Guillaume and daughter Emily are partners in the business which began with only one staff member serving roughly 30 participants and today, has grown to accommodate 50 staff members serving approximately 10,000 participants a year. The organization provides group initiatives in climbing, low ropes, canoeing, hiking and a number of other outdoor activities.

“I did these sort of things on my own before I started the business,” Guillaume said. “Now, I enjoy the fact that my coworkers and I can go cycling for an hour in the afternoon and count it as part of our workday.”

While Mountain Challenge has experienced significant growth over the past 20 years, staff members agree that significant further expansion is not a goal. The program is unique in its focus on MC students and community groups for the majority of its business.

Today, the Mountain Challenge staff consists of founder, Bruce Guillaume, his daughter Emily, and about fifty part-time staff members, with 10-20 being MC students. Mountain Challenge is a partner of Maryville College and serves as Mountain Challenge, LLC in its off-campus relations.

For more information on the 20th year celebration or the program in general, please contact Bruce Guillaume at 865.981.8126 or e-mail bruce.guillaume@maryvillecollege.edu.

Maryville College is ideally situated in Maryville, Tenn., between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Knoxville, the state's third largest city. Founded in 1819, it is the 12th oldest institution of higher learning in the South and maintains an affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Known for its academic rigor and its focus on the liberal arts, Maryville is where students come to stretch their minds, stretch themselves and learn how to make a difference in the world. Total enrollment for the fall 2009 semester is 1,103.