Roadtrip Nation Remembers Our Friend and Teammate Chelsea Walsh

 COSTA MESA, Calif., Sept. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- We're mourning the tragic loss of our friend and Roadtrip Nation teammate Chelsea Walsh in a rock climbing accident earlier this week.

For almost 11 years, Chelsea worked for Roadtrip Nation's public television series as a documentary film director and cinematographer whose creativity and vision shaped 13 films and series covering stories about first-generation college students, veterans, educators grappling with teaching during a pandemic, and so much more. On every project she touched, her willingness to take others under her wing shone through most, alongside her talent for pushing the creative boundaries of storytelling, her work ethic, and her dedication to our mission and impact.

Her work has earned her a Regional Emmy nomination, among other accolades. Through her role as a director and cinematographer, she connected deeply with hundreds of people whose stories she helped tell—most of all, the people featured in Roadtrip Nation's series as roadtrippers, who live on Roadtrip Nation's RV traveling and interviewing people about how they found their path in life. To them, she was a mentor, a thoughtful and caring guide through the process, a champion, and a friend. To her team at Roadtrip Nation, she was a constant inspiration, a brilliant and brave truth-teller, and a collaborator who was always pushing our work forward and making us better.

"Chelsea's talent and vision are stamped all over Roadtrip Nation," said Roadtrip Nation co-founder and president Mike Marriner. "She was a radiating force with so much heart and vibrancy that literally shaped Roadtrip Nation into what it is today. It was such an honor and privilege to work alongside her for so many years, and her beautiful spirit will remain in our hearts forever."

Chelsea's impact on Roadtrip Nation and our wider community is immeasurable, but it will live on in the deep connections she made, the many people she touched, and the love and care she brought to the stories she told. Our thoughts are with Chelsea's family and friends during this time, and we also extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Gavin Escobar, who also died in the rock climbing accident on Wednesday.

SOURCE Roadtrip Nation