Joel Ballezza

Enjoy episode one featuring my friends Karen and George Wiggins, two inspirational ultra runners who just might have figured life out.

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Enjoy episode two featuring my friends Ras and Kathy Vaughan, the two members of Team Ultrapedestrian. I had the joy of joining them on a trek from Easy Pass to Thunder Creek in the North Cascades and learning more about their recent journey along the Grand Enchantment Trail, and the health challenges Kathy is battling.

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To promote BECU's bi-annual financial document shredding event, I wrote the 1980 monster truck rally ad-inspired script, performed the voiceover and directed this silly promotional video. While humorous, the feature did hit home on why BECU provides this service—to protect the financial information of our members. 

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A short film I made celebrating my dog Luna Tuna's unbreakable spirit and love of the outdoors. This film was selected as a Semi-Finalist for Best Amateur Short by the Trail Film Fest.

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Filmed during my first trip to Mexico and my first warm-water diving adventure, we ATV'd, climbed, ran and soaked in the life in Tulum, Mexico.

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The aptly-named Cactus to Clouds Trail has the distinction of ascending the most altitude in a single trail in the U.S. The run starts from near-sea level of Palm Springs and climbs over 10,000' over 18 miles to the summit of San Jacinto Peak. 

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Each year I organize a sunrise summit and witness the last sunrise of the year on top of a mountain. For this past year, that place was Mailbox Peak, a 4,000' peak just outside of North Bend, Washington

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On a brilliant and warm June day, I marched with colleagues at the Seattle Pride Parade, and filmed and produced this video feature for BECU. 

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Retired after fifty years of work in law enforcement and education, what else does my father do in retirement but section hike the Appalachian Trail. I filmed this video during a four-day trek we did together over Memorial Day Weekend and logged 32 miles on the Connecticut AT. 

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Los Angeles is known for it's traffic, walk of stars and metro bussle, but I recently discovered a secret of the sun-bleached city—nature and amazing trails are just minutes from downtown.

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