Coordinator of Outdoor Adventures
TJ Beezley grew up in St. Louis, Missouri with an adventurous and active family. TJ grew up hiking, camping, and traveling the US in the family pop-up camper. While attending Southeast Missouri State University, she enrolled in an academic outdoor adventure trip to Colorado which sparked her interest in pursuing a career in Outdoor Recreation. After working for a Wilderness Therapy program in Utah, TJ found that she enjoyed helping people. So, in Southern Illinois, she worked at a substance abuse treatment center for adolescent females. While there, TJ realized her passion was based in the outdoors, so she pursued a master’s degree in Movement and Leisure Sciences at the University of Idaho. After graduation, TJ and her husband, Pat, worked for the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics as Traveling Trainers. They spent 11 months out of the year living and working out of a Subaru teaching people outdoor ethics. During their travels, they visited every state and every National Park in the contiguous United States. After 3.5 years on the road, TJ and Pat were ready for a change.
In 2016, TJ joined the Duke Recreation & Physical Education team as the Outdoor Adventures Coordinator. She currently oversees the Climbing Wall, Adaptive Climbing Program, Rentals, Workshops, Routesetting, and assists with Trip Leader Training. TJ enjoys spending her free time with her family, reading, watching St. Louis Cardinal baseball, and going on adventures. TJ strongly believes in the power of the outdoors and the opportunities for personal growth, creating connections, and disconnecting from the everyday hustle and bustle of life.