Malcom Daly, founder Paradox Sports and Human Dimensions of Natural Resources (HDNR) alumni was the graduation commencement speakerfor the Warner College of Natural Resources this past December. Daly is an avid outdoor enthusiast which prompted him to start his first business, Trango. His experience here at Colorado State University (CSU), the influence of his father and living in Fort Collins, CO, shaped and transformed his future.
During a climbing expedition in Alaska on an unclimbed route, Daly and his climbing partner, Jim Donini, were getting close to the summit when a mishap led to Daly falling several hundred feet. Because of the difficult spot Daly was in, Donini had to leave him to go find help. Daly was there for 48 hours until he was taken off the mountain. Following the accident Donini spoke of Daly’s optimism, good nature and strength and how it impacted the people around him. This climb transformed Daly both physically and psychologically, causing him to reevaluate his career and passions, or as he calls it “going from Malcom 1.0 to Malcom 2.0.”
With a new paradigm for life, Daly recognized he could no longer run Trango the same way he had done before and eventually left to commit fully to Paradox Sports. “If you lose your passion for your job in whatever agency or company you’re working for, try to have a transformative experience, you don’t have to cut off a leg or anything but you know, its time to hit the reset button.” With Paradox Sports he is able to connect people with their love of the outdoors through adaptive climbing, cycling, running, fishing, etc. His contributions to the outdoor recreation industry are extensive and significant and reflect the experiences and passions he had at CSU.