Mr. Shelmire grew up in Texas but spent most of his childhood summers at Camp Mondamin, just south of Hendersonville, NC. Before coming to Christ School, he worked there as a counselor, trip leader, head of paddling for 6 summers. He is a Swift Water Rescue Technician, Lifeguard, Wilderness First Responder, and became a certified ACA Level 4 Kayaking Instructor in 2022. Mr. Shelmire has been kayaking, mountain biking and climbing for over 10 years, traveling internationally to counties such as Canada, Mexico, and Chile. In 2022, he placed 6th in the annual Green River Race.  

Mr. Benton, a WNC native, has been paddling all seasons of the year for over 20 years!  He has kayaked up to class V, but has also canoed, rafted, and duckied class 3-4 runs. He took 2nd place in the Upper Green race and boats Liquid Logic kayaks exclusively. Mr. Benton’s favorite rivers include Big Creek, Little (TN) sinks to elbow section, and the Tellico. 

Mr. Lynch has been with the Christ School Outdoor Program since 2019, and at different times coached paddling, mtn biking, backpacking, and climbing. He has been climbing since 2011 and has led outdoor trips with youth since 2016. He is an American Mountain Guide Association Single Pitch Instructor (since 2020), and a Wilderness First Responder (since 2017) and has climbed across 14 different states & in Australia. Mr. Lynch’s Favorite climbs include Creatures of Waste (5.10c, 1-pitch), North Side, Looking Glass Rock, NC, Dopey Duck (5.9, 3-pitch), Shortoff Mtn, Linville Gorge, NC, and Obediah (V5), Lilly Boulders, and Obed Wild & Scenic River, TN. 

Favorite thing about climbing: "Climbing is equal parts mental and physical challenge. Entering this discipline unlocks unpreceded growth in one's confidence, communication skills, technical competency, and risk assessment. 

Ms. Hoffman grew up in Western North Carolina the Appalachian Mountains and loves to be out exploring nature! Especially with her golden retriever, Luna! Luna and Ms. Hoffman have traveled across the USA 6 times to complete different backpacking journeys. 

Ms. Hoffman went on her first backpacking trip when she was 12 years old, and her love has only grown since then. She has traveled/ backpacked in more than 15 countries, including Argentina, Chile, Italy, France, and Switzerland. 

Ms. Hoffman’s bucket list for backpacking includes New Zealand, Tibet, and Kenya! Some of Ms. Hoffman’s favorite adventures though have been finding great trails with her co-pilot in adventure, Luna! 

Mr. Thornbury has been biking with the Outdoor Program since 2016.  He became a PMBIA level 1 instructor in 2018 and a Wilderness First Responder in 2020.  He has mountain biked extensively in the northeast and enjoys biking in Grand Junction, Colorado and Moab, Utah where he has family.  Mr. Thornbury is also a former military pilot and the director of the Robert Morgan ’36 Aviation Program at Christ School. 

Favorite trails: Bent Creek, DuPont State Forest, Kitsuma, and just about everywhere else in Pisgah National Forest.  Captain Ahab in Moab is also world-class. 

Favorite thing about mountain biking: “The challenge of the climb.  I enjoy picking apart technical accents and enjoy the fitness benefits and personal satisfaction of arriving at the top.  The drops, which are amazing in the local area, are just a bonus.    

Jeff Joyce is passionate about spending time outside and can be found on the trails and rivers of Western North Carolina. Throughout his life he’s been fortunate to spend time whitewater kayaking, mountain biking, trail running, bikepacking, and flyfishing and trying to get other people as excited about outdoor exploration as he is.  

• Three-time competitor in the Green River Narrows Race  
• Backpacked over 800 miles of the Appalachian Trail (VA to NY)  
• Cycled the entirety of the Blue Ridge Parkway  
• Competed in the famous Pisgah Mountain Bike Adventure Race (PMBAR)  
• Five-time finisher of the UpChuck 50K trail run  
• PMBIA Level 1 Instructor  
• Wilderness First Responder  

Dr. Spenser Simrill has led wilderness trips in Costa Rica, Italy, and the US National Parks. A writer and filmmaker, he will be helping with Outdoor Program logistics and social media.  

Mr. Cain grew up on a farm in Southeastern North Carolina. He has loved spending time outdoors since he was a kid. When he travels (across the world, country, or state), he tries to locate some of the best trails and scenery (and history) to explore in the area. He’s happy to share about some of his favorites from travels to Rwanda, parts of the Middle East and Europe, and more! He loves exploring trails and natural areas in Western North Carolina and the Upstate of South Carolina. He lived in the Greenville (SC) area for 12 years (including his time in college), so he’s spent a lot of time and miles on trails around here. In addition to hiking, he enjoys flatwater kayaking, disc golf, learning more about the natural environment, and he’s looking forward to helping with the mountain biking program this year.

Mr. Cole has been a part of the Outdoor Program since 2021, coaching the backpacking and fly-fishing teams. He grew up backpacking in the White and Green Mountains of New Hampshire and Vermont and has been going outdoors as long as he can remember. He is a Wilderness First Responder and a Community Relief Medic as well as being an Eagle Scout. 

He has hiked all over 3 continents with his highlight being a trek to Point Lenana on Mt. Kenya with an elevation of 16,350 feet. His favorite local hikes are the Profile Trail on Grandfather Mountain and taking the Appalachian Trail from Carver's Gap to Yellow Mountain Gap in the Roan Mountain Highlands. He enjoys fly fishing predominately as a way to teach himself patience and to connect with the local environment. His favorite local river to fish is the Davidson. 

Jimmy has been with the CS Outdoor Program since 2022, coaching backpacking, outdoor living, and winter skills. He is a certified Survival Instructor from the Pathfinder School and has spent time hiking, camping, and honing his skills in over half the states in the country. 

His favorite thing about hiking and outdoor living: Nature teaches so many lessons about life, both present and eternal.  We are never done learning from the world around us – from the mountains & valleys to the struggles & successes. 

Ken Tyburski has been working with the Christ School Outdoor Program since 2017 when he joined the faculty; one of the main reasons he chose to work as a Greenie was not only the strong academics and involvement in residential programs, but the opportunity to share his passion for disc golf with students. 

Mr. Tyburski has been playing disc golf for about 15 years, and as a sponsored professional since 2016. He has played in over 200 events and has 80 career tournament wins, including winning the Amateur Masters World Championship in 2014. These days he balances his disc golf time between traveling to tournaments and working to promote youth disc golf engagement in the Asheville area. He is a member of the Professional Disc Golf Association and a certified rules official. He loves playing in the hills and forests of Western North Carolina; it’s a great state for disc golf! 

Mark Twain made famous the quip, “Golf is a good walk spoiled.” Mr Tyburski believes that disc golf is a good walk made better! Disc golf is inexpensive to start playing, accessible to people of all ages and abilities, promotes exercise (an 18-hole round typically takes about 6000 steps), and gets you outdoors.