Dana's Alaskan Adventure

January 2026
by Dana Hunt

I kicked my Alaskan bucket list…hard.

Alaska absolutely broke me open in the best way. I cried at its beauty as I soared over a glacier.

It was one of those moments where you realize how small you are, how vast the world is, and how lucky you are to be here experiencing it at all.

The kind of moment that quiets everything except gratitude.

I snowmobiled through one of the most breathtaking sunrises I’ve ever seen. I was pulled by eight Alaskan huskies. I made friends with reindeer.

Most importantly, I checked off my number one bucket list item: watching the northern lights dance across the sky 🌌✨ It felt transcendent, like I was caught between realms, suspended somewhere between earth and whatever magic lives beyond it.

This experience was made possible through Team Gleason’s Adventure Program, which creates extraordinary, bucket-list-worthy experiences for people living with ALS.

What makes this program so powerful is that it doesn’t focus on limitations. It focuses on living fully, with purpose and meaning. Not just surviving but truly living.

That philosophy is deeply personal to me.

When I was diagnosed with ALS, my world shifted overnight. My mobility has been changing steadily, and with that came moments of fear, grief, and uncertainty.

But this trip reminded me that while my body may move differently now, my capacity for awe, joy, and adventure has not diminished. If anything, it has sharpened.

Experiences like this don’t ignore reality. They meet it head-on and say: there is still so much life to be lived.

I chose to take this journey with Iva, who has stood by my side since day one of my diagnosis. She is not only the light that guided me through the darkness of being diagnosed with ALS, but also my co-founder.

Together, we started Adaptive Impact, a nonprofit born directly from inspiration sparked by Team Gleason.

Learning what Team Gleason made possible for those facing ALS showed us that adventure can be medicine. That adrenaline, freedom, and joy are not luxuries. They are vital.

Through Adaptive Impact, we now provide adrenaline-based experiences for people with mobility challenges, helping them access moments that remind them they are capable, powerful, and alive

To experience this trip alongside Iva felt like coming full circle. A reminder of why we started. A reminder of what’s possible when belief leads the way.

I am profoundly grateful for this experience and for the people who made it possible.

Team Gleason believes that adventure is more than a trip. It’s a lifeline and after Alaska, I feel that truth.

This one will live in my bones forever.