Meet the 2023 Wild Prairie Showdown Competitors

Over the next eight weeks, these esteemed individuals will be using their outdoor prowess to raise awareness, support, and capital for the Great Outdoors Foundation and ICON Water Trails. The competitors’ fundraising efforts will conclude at the 2023 Wild Prairie Showdown — Presented by Bolton & Menk — on Thursday, October 12 at Toast in Ankeny. This one-of-a-kind event will
feature the stars of the Wild Prairie Showdown and a program including a fashion show,
participant interviews, and interactive voting. Check out their profiles below and learn more,
register, or donate here!

Competitor Name: Phoukham “Has to Many Hobbies” Baccam
Competitor Organization: Principal Financial Group
Competitor Team: ICON Water Trails
Competitor Video
Competitor Profile: I, like many of you, love spending time outside. To date, I’ve completed three Ironman races and more than 50 triathlons, utilizing three of my favorite hobbies – swimming, biking, and running. Central Iowa has long been known for its impressive paved trail system, and now we’re pioneering a new path forward and activating 150 miles of water trails for residents and visitors alike. That’s why I’m supporting ICON Water Trails in this year’s Wild Prairie Showdown. This transformational quality of life project will increase access and improve safeguards for our natural resources, creating even more opportunities for people just like you and me to connect with our water trails and surrounding amenities.

Competitor Name: Rona “Aloha Aina” Berinobis
Competitor Organization: Athene USA
Competitor Team: Great Outdoors Foundation
Competitor Video
Competitor Profile: In my Hawaiian culture we live in harmony with the land and sea – ‘aina. Imbued with strength, our ‘aina provides everything we need to survive. Aloha for the ‘aina is ingrained within us as Native Hawaiians and it is core to the Hawaiian worldview. This personal love and conviction captures why I’m competing for the Great Outdoors Foundation in this year’s Wild Prairie Showdown. I believe land is not a commodity to be exploited, but a relative that should be respected and cared for and, who, in turn, cares for us. The Great Outdoors Foundation embodies this perspective as it strategically advocates for our land and water, right here in Iowa.

Competitor Name: Afton “The Rural Girl” Holt
Competitor Organization: Cornerpost Marketing
Competitor Team: Great Outdoors Foundation
Competitor Video
Competitor Profile: You might think you know what it means to come from rural Iowa – tractors, livestock, and fields as far as the eye can see. But there’s more than meets the eye. Iowa farm kids tend to know a thing or two about growing corn, herding cattle and drinking from a hose. It also means we know a thing or two about how to enjoy the great outdoors. You see, this beautiful Iowa landscape was — and is — our personal playground. It isn’t just an addition to our day; it is our way of life. That’s why I’m supporting the Great Outdoors Foundation; so that all Iowans, upstream and downstream, rural and urban, farmers and consumers, can enjoy our state’s great outdoors. You know what they say, “If you build it, they will come.” Join me on my journey to connect all Iowans with their natural heritage and donate to my Wild Prairie Showdown campaign today

Competitor Name: Emily “Keep It Clean” Naylor
Competitor Organization: Bolton & Menk
Competitor Team: ICON Water Trails
Competitor Video
Competitor Profile: Throughout my professional career, I’ve been a part of impactful conservation and placemaking projects across our beautiful state. On a personal level, I’m on a mission to “Keep It Clean” and protect our natural resources – that’s why I’m supporting ICON Water Trails in this year’s Wild Prairie Showdown. ICON’s strategic design leverages outdoor recreation to promote conservation and water safety while driving workforce development and tourism attraction throughout the region. By increasing access and engagement, ICON is developing stewards who will join together to take what was once neglected and forgotten and transform it into something lasting and beautiful.