F. Dale Sanders

Bio

It all started in 1935, Lickskillet, Kentucky, where Dale Sanders was born on the banks of the Whippoorwill Creek. A typical day of leisure in his early years was spent in the waters and woods circulating three quarters of his parents’ tobacco farm. He added acrobatics to his outdoor skills, and also found himself to be a proficient swimmer.

Dale’s first real job was lifeguarding on Kentucky Lake. There, he launched his professional career, teaching swimming, first aid small craft. During this period, he certified thousands through these American Red Cross programs. His quest to be one with the water and it’s environment continued growing into his early 20’s and in 1958 influenced him to join the US Navy. During his active duty Navy life he also became a Navy Hospital Corpsman, Hard Hat Deep Sea Diver and served medic with the US Maine Corps in Okinawa.

By the mid 1960’s, Dale was nationally recognized through competitive sports such as swimming, springboard diving and spearfishing. He also started a SCUBA commercial driving and underwater company, all of which helped launch his life-long career in the field of Park and Recreation.

His first big travel adventure were with his wife Meriam. In 1983, the couple made a backpacking trip around the world. They passed through 26 countries, walking wherever possible, using commercial transportation only when necessary.

Dale’s thirst for adventure has never settled, but only continued to grow over the years. He is the only person known to have canoed (dragged where paddling was impossible) his boat the entire length of Tennessee’s Wolf River from its source to the Mississippi River in one continuous trip. Dale has hiked several of the south-west US canyon land landscapes. His favorite was “The Wave” accessible by permit Through upper Buckskin Gulch in southwest Utah. 

His last big Grand Canyon adventure was a Rim to Rim to Rim, a hike from south rim to the north rim, turning around an hiking back down and again crossing the Colorado River and out the Bright Angel Trail — a challenge only a handful of 80-year-olds have accomplished. He received a Guinness World Record as the oldest person to be certified by Guinness as completing this R2R2R hike.

He says a most memorable adventure was paddling the full length of the Mississippi River from Source to Sea at 80 years old in 80 days, in support of Juvenile Diabetes. He claims to have set an age-based world record for this expedition and he challenged older paddlers to better this accomplishment. In 2020 hiker Stan Stark at 81 years old broke this age record.  At 87 Dale came back and re-claimed that record. This was Dale’s second certified age Guinness World Record.

Dale also was a recipient of the acclaimed 2016 Canoe and Kayak Magazine’s Spirit of Adventure Award. A prestigious honor given to the person(s) who most inspires others to pursue outdoor adventures. His Mississippi River Source to Sea paddle was the focus of this award.

Dale’s national and international titles include the prestigious Athlete of the Year award from the International Underwater Spearfishing Association, a record for Underwater Breath Holding and numerous U.S. national / southeast Asian team and individual spearfishing awards. He received the esteemed individual USA Nationals Sports Foundation award for Excellence in Parks and Recreation. His aquatic certifications included skin and SCUBA diving by the YMCA, NAUI, US Marine Corps and PADI, where he became a teacher and Instructor Trainer (IT). As staff member to three American Red Cross aquatic schools he also became an Instructor Trainer in water safety, first aid and small craft.

Dale is retired from a successful career in Parks and Recreation. For nearly six decades, he worked full time in the profession — including 37 years with the Department of the Navy. He holds a Masters Degree from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California and continued his post graduate education in Morale, Welfare, Recreation and Parks until he retired in 2002.

Following his formal retirement, Dale’s hobby became River Guide for the Memphis, Tennessee based Wolf River Conservancy. He regularly volunteered for the Conservancy until he joined their staff as the Director of Outreach in 2013. He has since retired to a “Life After Eighty” adventure world where he now hold several age related records.

His Memphis-area home has become a favorite stopping and re-supply destination for long distance paddlers. He welcomes canoe and kayakers passing through to sign and add artwork to a wall in his home. The self-declared “Paddlers Wall of Fame”. Online and in-person, Dale is often referred to as “River Angel” or “Grey Beard”. He also found time to serve as Staff Photographer at several of the U.S. salt water Spearfishing Competitions and Fresh Water Nationals and World Fresh Water Spearfishing Championships.

After completing the Mississippi River paddle he and teammates, also in record time, successfully paddle-boarded the MR340 human powered craft race across the State of Missouri, from Kansas City, Kansas to St. Louis. Eighty one hours at 81 years old. A fete no others his age have completed.

UPDATE: On 26 October 2017 Dale completed a “Through Hiking” on the Appalachian Trail (AT). At 82 years old he held the record as the “Oldest Person” to ever hike the full 2190 mile long trail for five years. (His record was broken by Dr. M.J. “Nimblewill Nomad” Eberhart in 2022). The hike took Dale through 14 states, ten months to complete through some of the most difficult wilderness areas mostly along the Eastern Continental Divide, from Springer Mountain in Georgia to the summit of Katahdin in central Maine. He has issued a challenge to anyone older that might like to “Through Hike” the AT and take the record home.

UPDATE UPDATE of Mach 2022: The word is out. Dale says: “God willing and the creeks don’t rise” he intend to put together a team and try and set the new record at 90 years old in in 2025.

Dale’s 2019 adventure hiking the second leg of the Eastern Continental Trail (ECT) from Key West Florida to the AT southern terminus at Springer Mt. Georgia. Plans were to hike the Canadian remaining roughly 800 mile in the future. Because the Florida National Scenic Trail (FNST) is part of the overall ECT he will also holds records for “Completing” and a “Through Hiking” the Florida Trail and the Florida National Scenic Trail.

Dale recently said: “My plans were to hike roughly 800 miles of the International Appalachian Trail remaining between Mt Katahdin in Maine and northern Newfoundland, Canada in 2020. That is if my health holds out Dale said and if my wife is still on board. Would be nice to also hold the age record, for hiking the entire ECT, along with the other five age records”.

UPDATE UPDATE of June 2020 : (Unfortunately Covid 19 resulted in the closing of the border between Canada and US, and remained closed for approximately two years. He has now hiked every step between Key West, Florida and Mt. Katahdin in Baxter State Park Main, near the Canadian border. After paddling the Mississippi River again in 2022 he still plans on some day hiking the remaining portion of the ETC.

In 2020 Dale also was awarded another Guinness Record: Hiking the Grand Canyon. Oldest Person to hike a Rim to Rim to Rim. (R2R2R). In six days. Dale said this was the easiest World Record he has ever received. Well – if you don’t consider that third day hiking up from Cottonwood Campground to the North Rim and back to Cottonwood. Elevation change about one mile. Once reaching the top we had to turn round and hike back down to Cottonwood; all in one day. That day took more than a piece of cake to accomplish. But I survived and now proud of my team, The Bluff City Canoe Club, for making it possible for me to do this hike.

A final note of interest – Frank and Jessie James parents were also born and raised in Lickskillet, and yes, they were related to Dale’s side of the Sanders family.