The Inspiration.

BRAD HUMPHREY loved his family and friends as much as he loved the great outdoors. He was happiest when loading his kids into his beat-up Westfalia, heading out to the great unknown, armed with a headlamp, water bottle and peanut butter tortilla. His tight knit group of childhood friends referred to him as Ironside. Brad was the heart and soul of his family and friends. He was the leader who demanded adventure and a can-do attitude. When you met him you couldn’t help it, you were 100% in. He had a heart of gold thumping under his inside out tee shirts and steady feet in the occasional mismatched hiking boot. He was at his best when coaxing terrified groups of loved ones up a mountain, over a ridge and into a lake all before sunrise. He lived by The Humphrey Creed: try your best, never give up, no fussing or whining, finish the job. He made you better.

He made you believe in yourself when you didn’t think you could make that final switchback or were too scared to take that jump into the ocean. He was loud. He was funny. He fell out of a tree. He built campfires. He made friends out of strangers. He traveled the world. He summited Peaks. He pushed you. He volunteered his time. He was a committed husband, father, son, brother and friend. He was a positive force in this world.

The Diagnosis.

After a surf session in the Fall of 2014, Brad noticed a lump under his arm and went in to get it checked out. While blindsided by the diagnosis of Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), Brad looked at it as a setback. It didn't stop him from living a full life and doing all the things that he loved. He continued on until this Chronic disease turned into a rare complication known as Richter’s Syndrome. To our horror, within 4 months of this new diagnosis along with a brutal extended hospital stay, Brad passed away on October 16, 2018. He was supposed to live a slightly modified life with his disease. He wasn’t supposed to die and was taken from us too soon. Our family was in shock, in a fog. We were left empty, unsure, stuck, broken, afraid. How would we go on without him to lead us? We trudged forward trying to live our lives with purpose and resilience. The pain was deep but we did our best to honor him everyday with our promise to live fully and make him proud. It felt incomplete, though. Empty. It wasn’t enough, but we hoped it would be someday soon.

The Anniversary.

October 16, 2019 was the first anniversary of Brad’s death. We called it “BRAD DAY” and we honored him with a nonstop day of outdoor adventure.  It was a Wednesday and the kids played hooky from school.  We had Brad with us (both his ashes and his spirit). We loaded up Uncle Jon's SUV with tents, sleeping bags, and  surfboards. The theme of the day was WWBD (What Would Brad Do?).  We camped, we cooked by a fire, we hiked, we surfed, we cried, we told stories, we celebrated his love of the outdoors and family. We were determined to make him proud.  The day was exhausting and exhilarating, ending with a beautiful sunset and moonrise and a night outdoors in sleeping bags.

Brad approved. 

Just as Brad intended, we all found that  being active together in nature helped lift our spirits and brought us closer to him. We began to feel a shift in ourselves from empty and ill equipped to peaceful. Brad was with us—his spirit, his strength, his compassion. We knew then we were capable of carrying on his legacy. We could keep his memory alive. We could share the spirit of Brad with others.  It was the start of something bigger, the idea that we must honor Brad’s spirit. But how?

The Mission.

We are thrilled to introduce 2B-RAD, a non-profit organization with 501(c)(3) status. Inspired by the spirit and energy of Brad Humphrey, 2B-RAD partners with like minded organizations who believe in community and the healing power of being active in nature. Whatever the hardship, 2B-RAD’s goal is to help individuals and families participate in outdoor, community based programs like guided hikes, backpacking trips, educational retreats and more. Our time is precious and as we know, life can throw us curve balls. Stress, anxiety, grief and digital noise can feel overwhelming and distract us from what’s truly important. 2B-RAD believes every individual and family deserves the opportunity to explore, grow and challenge themselves in nature with guidance and support. Brad believed in using nature to manage life’s hardships and so do we.