Meet the Board

 Justin Matejcek is the President and Founder of Veterans Adventure Group. He served 5 years as an infantryman with the elite 101st Pathfinder Company. During his time in the military he attended numerous schools, earned his Ranger tab, and distinguishing himself as an exceptional solider. He completed 2 combat deployments with this unit. While tending to wounds of a fellow comrade in Afghanistan, he made a commitment to empowering veterans to accomplish amazing feats in hopes of changing the negative stigmas that surround veterans. Justin and the wounded soldier made a promise that day that they would climb Mt. Rainier together when they returned from overseas. The deal came to completion when he and the wounded soldier, along with 8 other veterans, climbed Mt. Rainier on the 2017 Rainier climb.    

However, it was in February of 2016 he began organizing the group's first climb up Mt. Rainier and officially founded Veterans Adventure Group. Since that trip the organization's mentality has spread like wildfire and we now serve veterans across the United States. He leads by example, and can consistently be found on the mountains, in the caves, and even jumping out of planes with the veterans we serve. Currently, Justin lives in Bend, OR and is frequently found in the nearby mountains skiing, rock climbing, and making summit pushes. While this is far from his Minnesota roots, Justin has found his calling to serve is bolstered when immersed in our beautiful nation.

Treasurer 

 Adaptive Program/ Board member 

Born and raised on a farm in southern Alabama, Whitman had never so much as thought about climbing or mountaineering growing up. It wasn't until deploying to the Pech and Korengal Valley of Afghanistan in 2010 did he discover his love of the mountains. After six years as an Infantryman serving in many different roles including Scout Sniper with the 101st Airborne Division Whitman began looking for his next adventure. 2015, Whitman was Honorably Discharged as a Non Officer Through Veterans Adventure Group, Whitman had his first taste of mountaineering and climbing which changed the direction of the rest of his life. He now lives and works as a climbing guide in the New River Gorge and continues to support other veterans by leading mountaineering trips out west and rock climbing events near his home in West Virginia. Whitman is a AMGA certified Single Pitch Instructor and pursuing certifications in multiple disciplines to one day become a fully certified Mountain Guide through the American Mountain Guide Association.