05/18/2026
Here at the New River Gorge we revere quiet crushers: these are the folks out there doing what they do with low-key expertise, not spraying about it, just taking care of business, no big deal. Today we are here to do the spraying: we are crowning Brittany Chaber as the current Queen of the Quiet Crushers! Let us summarize why:
Back in 2016 Brittany observed that Gene was really good at leading (Not)Work Week, rallying volunteers, planning the trail projects, etc, but there were more details that were swamping him, so she just stepped right up and took them over: chasing sponsors, organizing meals, communicating with vols, ordering tee shirts, rounding up schwag—in short, making sure the whole complicated venture ran smoothly. She is a straight up logistics whiz which means the woman makes lists. Her organizational super powers have benefited NRAC in countless ways as their events calendar has expanded.
Brittany also quietly crushes in the biking world, frequently being spotted on local trails at the head of the fast girl pack, ripping up the steeps, slaying the technical bits. She also serves as the president of the Fayetteville Trails Coalition and has done more trailwork than you can shake a stick at. She is a powerful and elegant climber and a consistent trail runner, willing to brave all manner of bad weather to get her dogs out. She is a ridiculously good cook and a relaxed and gracious entertainer. Wise beyond her years, she is a devoted and supportive friend to many. And we haven’t even mentioned her preternatural ability to locate and win grants. She can even sew! Talk about crushing...
As Brittany steps down as co-manager of (Not)Work Week, we give her a shout-out for her huge contribution to making (Not)Work Week the fun, productive, soulful, family thing that it has become.
Brittany, you are the beating heart of it all!
Thanks for everything!
-Maura + Gene Kistler + NRAC
