Once drawn to the Adventure Tourism Business Operations (ATBO) diploma program, Don Webster has come full circle – now leading and teaching in the same program that first sparked his career in adventure tourism.
Drawn to ATBO’s unique blend of outdoor adventure, business skills, and hands-on learning in the heart of the mountains, Don went on to guide and instruct a on all seven continents from Norway and Australia to Alaska, Greenland, Kenya, and even Antarctica after graduating in 1998.
“I knew I’d achieved my dream of living a life of adventure was when I was being flown to Greenland to lead an expedition,” he says.
After years on the road, Don eventually shifted to running an outdoor program on the West Coast before spotting a posting for an instructor in the ATBO program in Golden, B.C.
“My family and I were looking for a small Kootenay mountain town and Golden was a perfect fit,” he said. “We love the skiing and the mountain lifestyle.”
An ATBO instructor since 2017 and program coordinator since 2024, Don finds guiding students deeply rewarding.
“I get a lot of satisfaction in mentoring ATBO students,” he said. “Seeing them head out on new adventures of their own is almost as good as going myself.”
And though his work now keeps him closer to home, he recently returned to Kenya to mentor tourism instructors in the delivery of adventure tourism programming, a reminder that adventure can take many forms.