Peter Downing
Peter is the Executive Director of Suffer Better, a Colorado non-profit giving the community of endurance athletes opportunities to give back to preserve and protect their natural environment and support local communities through running events, educational programs and grants. Sounds pretty aligned with Footprints. No wonder we get along so well!
Peter has worn an array of hats over the course of his professional life – everything from Peace Corps volunteer teacher to middle/high school teacher to water law attorney to college education program director to film festival director to PR/marketing/communications professional to non-profit leader. Whew. The one consistent thread through all those seemingly varied roles and experiences has been authentic communication – sharing real stories to real people in real situations. A member of the outdoor industry for over 35 years, Peter is now focused on the fight to reverse the effects of climate change and protect our precious natural environment.
Peter’s varied extracurricular interests have led him in as many different directions as his professional achievements. A committed fly fisherman, ultra-distance trail runner, cyclist, and father of two extraordinary young adults, Peter was once a top-tier ultra-marathoner with numerous top 3 finishes and a few course records under his belt. To this day, one of Peter’s greatest joys is a long, solitary run on one of Colorado’s spectacular mountain trails, far away from it all.
Peter earned a JD from the University of Pennsylvania, an MA in education and international relations from the University of Denver, and his BA in English from Colgate University. He is a member of the steering committee for the Colorado Outdoor Business Alliance (COBA – a business association under Conservation CO), on the advisory board for the Run Wild Trail Camp for the next generation of outdoorists, a founding board member of Running Up For Air, a newly formed 501c3 for the Running Up for Air Series of running events. He and his wife live in the heart of Denver.
