An exceprt from the Mountain Hardwear's; DIVA and Conquer contest pages.....Lauren Ledford in my opinion is the essence of a Mountain Hardwear outdoor diva. Her passion for adventure and discovery is never satisfied through experiences she adamantly pursues. Whether it is daring to kayak down raging rivers, traversing through wildernesses with the simplicity of a backpack, exploring the dark and uncharted passages of caves not yet named, scaling rock faces, snowboarding down icy slopes, or paddling mysterious swamps in a canoe. 
Lauren took the "outside" to another level not braved by many by making the outdoors not only her playtime, but also her career. Lauren and several others have begun a non-profit wilderness adventure camp in North Carolina. Through this Lauren unselfishly gives youth the opportunity to discover their own passion for the outdoors by teaching them how to kayak, leading them down the exciting passages of the underground, guiding them over mountains so beautiful they take your breath away, and by instilling in them the amazing gift of appreciating the amazing world that we live in. I know this first hand because I was one of the youths that she invested her time in. Because of her, I have a passion to explore the marvelous pursuits that nature offers. Lauren inspired me so much that I am currently studying Outdoor Education as an undergraduate degree. Lauren not only enjoys her adventures but she shares them with others, and that in my opinion is the mark of a true outdoor enthusiast. Nominated by Sophie Allen Currently, Lauren resides in Winter Park and teaches kayaking classes for outdoor DIVAS in Boulder along with working for a rafting company in the Fraser Valley. | 
