A Message from the Founder
From Luxury Yachts to Mud and rocks
For years, I built half-billion-dollar yachts for the world’s wealthiest people. It was a career of excess that left a hole in my soul. I wasn't making a difference; I was just helping billionaires spend money. I needed to do something that actually mattered.
The Turning Point: The Spectators vs. The Rescuers
WORN wasn't born in a boardroom; it was born at a riverbank. A friend of mine ended up in a dangerous situation, his vehicle trapped in a river. On one side, people were mocking him on social media. But what was worse was what I saw on the other bank: The Sheriff’s Department and the Fire Rescue Team were just standing there. They had the gear, the uniforms, and the taxpayer funding, but they were just spectators. They didn't move. They didn't rig a line. They just watched.
I realized then that if you’re in trouble in the backcountry, you can’t always count on the "official" channels. I grabbed two other guys, we crossed that river, and we got him out while the "professionals" watched like chumps. That was the day I knew Washington needed a network that wouldn't just stand on the sidelines.
Real Impact, Real Speed
Since then, WORN has become a statewide lifeline. We’ve grown into a massive network of volunteers who are always to help. We’ve worked 72-hour shifts during "Snowmageddon" to get nurses to hospitals and chemo patients to their appointments when the the rest of the Puget Sound had ground to a halt.
We’ve rescued families huddled in freezing cars and extracted rolled vehicles from terrain no tow truck would ever touch. We maintain a 100% success rate and a response time of under 45 minutes because we know that when you're in the woods, every minute counts.
Our Legacy
I started WORN to "cleanse" my own heart, but it has become the backbone of off-road safety in our state. We don't do this for the likes or the "trail cred." We do it because when you’re stuck 20 miles into the Cascades, you don't need a spectator—you need a recovery.
If I die today, I know I made an impact. That’s why we’re here.
— Will, Founder of WORN
