Ms. Sarah Thorne graduated as an Occupational Therapist from Queen’s University in 2004. She has extensive experience in the assessment and treatment of physical, cognitive, psycho-emotional, and perceptual impairments. She has worked with individuals after stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, amputation, and a variety of other life-altering events in the acute and rehabilitation settings, and has facilitated return to community, work, and school. In addition to her work in therapeutic climbing, she is currently working in a leadership role at the Centre of Arthritis Excellence in Newmarket, Ontario, where she and her team provide early access and self-management strategies for individuals living with arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to use climbing, her favourite leisure pursuit, as a therapeutic tool for CACS clients in their recovery journeys. Sarah is a passionate recreational climber, who also has experience in coaching beginner and elite youth climbers. She is one of the owner’s of Reach Indoor Climbing in Aurora, Ontario. Reach also plans to provide therapeutic and adaptive opportunities for our community.

Paula Zonneveld is an Occupational Therapist registered with the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario. She completed her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at the University of Toronto and graduated in 2021. Her work has primarily focused on pediatrics, working with children with physical, cognitive, and mental health challenges and their families to achieve goals surrounding activities of daily living, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and emotional regulation. Paula believes strongly in the power of meaningful leisure activities in therapy and recovery. She has been a climber herself since 2018 and has experience working at several climbing gyms in the GTA teaching beginner lessons and climbing skills to new climbers. Paula loves climbing outdoors and has experience sport climbing and bouldering all over Ontario, and other destinations such as BC, Quebec, USA, Mexico, and France. She is currently working towards becoming a certified climbing guide so she can continue to share her love for outdoor climbing with the adaptive climbing community.