Jessie Stone

New Business:

Paul Herschell 503-227-3449 ext. 103

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After seven years of serving as an international whitewater raft guide, Jessie Stone turned to the sport of whitewater kayaking. The agility and creativity required for the sport coupled with a natural love for the river sparked this new passion in Jessie’s life. After receiving her MD from New York Medical College in 1999, Jessie continued to instruct and compete in the sport of kayaking.

During a 2003 Nile River expedition in Uganda, Jessie Stone realized that the country was plagued by rampant malaria, a disease infecting 500 million people and killing 3 million children each year. In 2004 Jessie created the Ugandan Project through the non-profit, Soft Power Health. The project is designed to provide education, prevention and treatment of malaria in rural Uganda. Through the program Jessie and her team have been able to significantly reduce the malaria problems within the Kyabirwa village in Uganda. Soft Power Health has built a new clinic for preventative medicine in the village and is extending the program to provide HIV/AIDS, family planning and pre-natal care education.

In her short career, Jessie has quickly accelerated the ranks of professional kayakers. She is dedicated to exposing others to the joy of whitewater paddling. As an instructor, Jessie has coached countless individuals in kayaking, including Martha Stewart in a Southern Oregon feature that aired on the Martha Stewart Living show.

Jessie enjoys the freedom of traveling and freedom of life that her endeavors bring. A strong life balance exists between extreme kayaking and the ability to give back through medical and public work. Jessie’s love for adventure combined with discipline and work ethic result in excellence as both kayaker and philanthropist.