Our Team

The 'He' and 'La' of HeLa, Henry and Lana have owned and operated HeLa since 1987. Until 1997, they provided school programs from May to June and September to October, and spent their summers guiding for Nahanni River Adventures. Their winters involved more University, cross country skiing, and various contract positions with school boards and university. Following the birth of their first daughter, they figured it was time to upgrade their living situation, so they moved out of their blue van and purchased the present HeLa facility. ​​Henry and Lana are heavily involved in the cross country ski community, and the winter finds them both on their skis as often as possible. Henry is also a Principal with Edmonton Public Schools while Lana is active on the Paddle Alberta & Paddle Canada Boards. During their spare time, if they have any, they pursue their outdoor passions with their 2 daughters, Kiera and Rhea.  

Adam Biesinger started his career with HeLa in 1998, and has held a variety of roles with the company, including Guide, Bike Mechanic, Facility Manager, and now General Manager. He left HeLa for several years to travel and take on other adventures, such as ice climbing in the Rockies, bicycling across India, and freediving in the Red Sea. For the past five years, he has enjoyed being part of HeLa's management team. In his free time, Adam freedives, skis, hikes, and cooks amazing vegan curries.

Emily has a professional background in writing, editing and counseling; she joined HeLa's management team at the start of 2023. Emily hails from the United States, where she spent years hiking through the Cascade and Olympic Mountains in the Pacific Northwest.

She is also a certified Yoga Instructor and has studied and taught asana and meditation throughout North America. When she's not working, Emily enjoys exploring David Thompson Country with her husband and two dogs, reading, writing stories, and baking vegan treats.

Kiera graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor in Kinesiology and a major in Sport Performance. She is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Education. She is certified as a Wilderness First Responder, Swift Water Rescue Technician, Paddle Canada Moving Water Canoe Instructor and Instructor Trainer, and a SoloNCCP 1 Orienteering Coach. Kiera is also a Gymnastic coach in Edmonton. The 2023 season will be her seventh season working as a guide at HeLa. Prior to working at HeLa she spent her summers in HeLa's MAS programs. Her love for the outdoors started at 4 days old when she took her first canoe trip; she summited her first mountain at 3 weeks old (through no physical effort of her own of course!).

Keo Ohler graduated with a concurrent degree in English and Education from the University of Calgary. She is certified as a Wilderness First Responder, Swift Water Rescue Technician, Paddle Canada Moving Water Canoe Instructor, Paddle Canada Lake Canoe Instructor Trainer, and a SoloNCCP 1 Orienteering Coach. The 2023 season will be Keo's seventh year working at HeLa. She is also a graduate of HeLa's Mountain Adventure School program. In her time off, Keo loves to be out on the river. She can be easily identified in the wild by her abundance of purple gear. 

The 2023 season is Ben's third summer as HeLa staff. Ben graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a Bachelor in Secondary Education. He holds certifications as a Wilderness First Responder and Swift Water Rescue Technician, as well as several Paddle Canada certifications, including  Moving Water Tandem Canoe Instructor, Tandem Lake Canoe Instructor, Wilderness Camping Instructor, and Waterfront Canoe Instructor.

Before working at HeLa, he completed MAS 101-401 as a student and participated in the ALP program. In his spare time, Ben is always up to hike, bike, paddle, and compete in camp Spikeball games. You can typically find Ben running around HeLa in his tie-dye Keens, making obscure movie references, and planning his next excursion in David Thompson Country.

Jaidyn Bergmann has been part of the HeLa family since she attended MAS 101 in 2014. She went on to complete all of the MAS programs, as well as the ALP program in 2019, and has been a guide and instructor with HeLa since 2020. Jaidyn is passionate about travelling! After graduating University she lived in New Zealand for a year backpacking and living out of a van she built. She has also travelled to Australia, Europe, and the Dominican Republic, where she spent a month in a small community building homes for elders. Her next travel adventure will include walking the El Camino in Spain. Jaidyn is also an animal-lover and is obsessed with her cat, Peaches! She hopes to one day have a farm where she can care for a variety of animals. When she's not working, you can find Jaidyn enjoying a nice lake day or exploring the river in canoes. She's also developed a new passion for biking and looks forward to learning more bike skills this year.

Jaidyn's certifications include Wilderness First Responder, Swift Water Rescue Technician, Intro Tandem Lake Canoe Instructor, Intro Solo Lake Canoe Instructor, Waterfront Canoe Instructor, and tandem Moving Water Canoe Instructor.

Rhea Madsen started guiding with HeLa in 2022 as part of the ALP program. Prior to that, she completed the entire MAS program at HeLa. She grew up in the outdoors, going on her first ski when she was only 5-days old (technically, she was dragged in a sled as her parents skiied). She has spent much time in the mountains, watching the stars.

Rhea is now in her second year of a Physical Science degree at the University of Alberta, pursuing a love of astronomy and physics.  She is also a cheerleading coach in Edmonton, and has competed at both the junior and senior World Championships.  In her free time, you’ll find her skiing, hiking, climbing, and wearing as much pink as possible!

Cassie completed HeLa's Adventure Leadership Practicum in the summer of 2022. This season she returns as a program guide and instructor! Cassie is originally from Vancouver Island, and graduated from the University of Victoria with a B.A. in Recreation and Health Education. She has her certification in the following: Wilderness First Responder, Swift Water Rescue, Paddle Canada Moving Water Tandment Canoe, Paddle Canada Tandem Lake, Paddle Canada Camping Instructor, Waterfront Canoe Instructor She loves to camp, climb, hike, and ski. You will be able to recognize her by her chaotically scrambled plates of food in the mess hall!

In 2023, Laura joined HeLa for her second season after completing the ALP program in 2022. She recently graduated from Mount Royal University with a degree in Health and Physical Education, majoring in Ecotourism and Outdoor Leadership. Laura holds certifications as a Wilderness First Responder, Swift Water Rescue Technician, and Outdoor Council of Canada Field Leader. She also holds several Paddle Canada certifications, including  Moving Water Tandem Canoe Instructor, Tandem Lake Canoe Instructor, Basic Camping Instructor, and Waterfront Canoe Instructor. She has completed the AST Level 1- Avalanche Skills Training.

When she's not playing varsity hockey for the MRU cougars, Laura is out hiking, xc skiing, camping, paddling, and climbing! 

Bronwen Taylor recently completed her Bachelor of Music in French Horn Performance at the University of Alberta. In 2022, she completed HeLa's ALP program, which involved earning multiple certifications including, Wilderness First Responder, Swift Water Rescue Technician, Paddle Canada Moving Water Tandem Canoe, Paddle Canada Canoe Instructor, Paddle Canada Camping Instructor, and Waterfront Canoe Instructor. In addition to working at HeLa, Bronwen does ski patrol in the winter. She balances her love of everything outdoors with her passion for music, and when she's not playing her French Horn or at HeLa, you'll find her on the water in a canoe, scrambling a mountain, or possibly on a unicycle.

After completing the ALP Program in 2022, Pascal joins HeLa for his second season as a staff member. He holds certifications as a Wilderness First Responder and Swift Water Rescue Technician, as well as several Paddle Canada certifications, including Moving Water Tandem Canoe Instructor, Tandem Lake Canoe Instructor, Camping Basics Instructor, and Waterfront Canoe Instructor. Pascal also completed HeLa’s Mountain Adventure School Programs 100-400.
 

Pascal is currently studying at the University of Alberta, in his second year of a degree in Mechanical Engineering, with a Biomedical option. He is an avid mountain biker, skier, and hockey player, but at HeLa he is often seen trying to convince others to join in on some Spikeball or Hacky sack.

James will be returning to HeLa for his second season. In 2022, he completed the Adventure Leadership
Practicum (ALP) program with HeLa, where he received his Wilderness First Responder, Swiftwater
Rescue Technician I, as well as his Canoe and Camping instructors’ certifications. James is a Mountain
Adventure School (MAS) graduate, completing all four levels with HeLa. Outside of HeLa and the ALP
program, James is also passionate about scuba diving and is a certified PADI Rescue Diver.
James is in his second year at MacEwan University, where he is taking a Bachelor of Science degree. He
is an avid outdoor enthusiast who enjoys many activities, including year-round biking (yes, that includes
in the snow and cold), rock climbing, skiing (water and snow), scuba diving, and paddling. James also
enjoys soapstone carving, with over 12 years of experience, and has been passing his knowledge and
skills on to students as an instructor for 2 years. He can be spotted wearing his cowboy hat around camp
and sporting a grin. Don’t be afraid to say, “Hi!”

Asha started working at HeLa in 2021 as a kitchen staff, then completed the ALP program in 2022, in which she earned numerous certifications in canoe and camping instruction, wilderness first aid, and swift water rescue. Asha has been a lover of hiking, biking, and all water based activities since she was young, and her passions have only grown with time. When she’s not outside exploring, Asha is working on a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at MacEwan University. Asha also competes nationally on the University of Alberta Artistic Swimming team, and passes on her love of the sport through coaching.