Dale ter Haar

Co-Founder & Operations Chief

You know those nature documentaries with guides clad in khaki, walking through tall grass, whispering in hushed tones about rare birdcalls? Well, that’s Dale. And no offense to current company, but he’d always rather be in the dusty backcountry in Botswana, his landlocked home in Southern Africa. Now based in Durham, North Carolina, Dale is responsible for the rigorous day-to-day operations of the Challenge The Wild USA offices.

Early in his career, Dale travelled the world in the British Army – rising to the rank of Major – with deployments to Northern Ireland, Canada, the Middle East, and Germany. Later, he worked as a sporting events director for 15 years. (Let him know if you aspire to run an ultra-marathon across the interior salt pans of Botswana, because he can point you in the right direction.) He has also been involved in building Botswana’s safari industry. So if that’s on your bucket list – and really, it should be – he’s got some pro tips for you. 

Mindful of people in need, Dale has served on the boards of several nonprofits and has run a fundraising charity in Botswana for 10 years that focuses on the needs of women, children, and the disabled. During that period, the charity has raised USD1.3 million for those in need, including one project that fit specialist wheelchairs for disabled children allowing them to be mobile for the first time ever, in some cases

Dale holds a certificate in Events Management from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and has led expeditions in Botswana and adventure training in the UK and Canada     

As co-founder of Challenge The Wild USA, and in his day-to-day running of its Durham headquarters, Dale is fiercely committed to the needs of clients, to ensuring a professional and safely run event, and to the hope that folks walk away with a “wow” story to share at the dinner table.