Company Story

After realizing the positive impact he could have on young people while teaching in a wilderness setting, Jim O'Brien began Sol Quest in 1994. His vision called for a company with the flexibility to provide programs to organizations who otherwise could not afford them. In 2002, Sol Quest attained non-profit status in order to better serve clients that would otherwise be unable to offer quality outdoor experiences to their participating youth. Our current courses are a continuation of his belief that knowledgeable and dedicated instructors teaching in an inspirational outdoor environment will learn and do their best no matter what their background

The Birth of Sol Quest-

I just watched Field of Dreams. For one hour and forty minutes I was in Iowa. It reminded me that my father passed away too early in my life. Ray Cansella was afraid he was turning into his father, a man who seemed to give up on his dreams. Well, when I helped burry my father I made myself a promise. I would not waste a day. I would remember that every minute is one minute closer to death. As with most things: easier said than done. It all seemed so clear at 17, fresh from that major shake-up; the death of my first and primary hero. Then reality set in. It's hard to stare mortality in the face on a daily basis. It's an exhausting proposition.

Iowa did indeed look like heaven on that television screen. As I watched the film I had a disturbingly joyous memory of playing baseball with my dad & and doing the things I loved with him, spending time in nature. I stopped playing baseball and started spending less time backpacking and with nature.

Years later while working with some under privileged youth one of the boys saw his first ever falling star, the look on his face and the look in his eyes were indescribable, and I realized what my father was trying to teach me. Sitting in my cubical and looking out the window I craved being outdoors, I had this vision to share my experiences with others. Shrugging off cubicle claustrophobia. I needed a physical break from psychological confines.

When was the last time you did something that made no sense? Completely crazy? It's sad what people consider completely crazy. Ray Cansella built a baseball field. I created Sol Quest. The name Sol Quest is tribute to my dad and all that he has taught me, his love for epic sunsets (Sol) to explore, to see & respect nature, and to see the big picture, to make every day count, “a journey in search of adventure’’ (Quest) So when people ask me how Sol Quest came about, it’s sometimes hard to find the words.

I truly believe that a wilderness experience can affect one person so deeply that it profoundly alters his or her views of self and reality to the positive, changing a person’s life for months and sometimes years after the experience. So why did I do it? Basically Because I felt it?

Bio-

James O'Brien- As the Founder and Executive Director of Sol Quest Inc., Jim has directed the programs' growth and development since 1994. In addition to being the chief architect of Sol Quest's mission and programming, he has personally instructed over 500 wilderness adventures integrating people of all abilities including persons with physical, cognitive, and emotional disabilities. In addition Jim has fifteen years of professional guiding experience and has over 25 years experience in the backcountry. He is a former non-commissioned Naval Officer, graduate of Outward Bound Southwest Teacher's Practicum, Certified Wilderness Education Association Outdoor Leader, and AMGA Professional Member (American Mountain Guide Association), in addition he holds a medical certificate from Southwestern Collage and a technical certificate from the University of Georgia. Jim has been a member of the San Diego Mountain Rescue Team for ten years and is a Certified Technical Rescue Specialist with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.