“Life is not promised to anyone. You need to do what you want to do, what makes you happy as soon as you can.”

Of all people with Alzheimer’s, less than 1% have the inherited form of the disease which triggers symptoms as early as the age of 30. Each child whose parent carries the gene has a 50/50 chance of inheriting the gene. If they inherit the gene, it’s almost guaranteed that they’ll develop the disease.

Tristan Bussell doesn’t know when his memory will start to fade, he just knows that it will. When doctors confirmed that Tristan carried the gene for Early Onset Alzheimer’s, the same disease that killed his father, he shifted his focus to the present and set about turning dreams into goals.

“Once I found out and knew that my life would be shortened, I’ve tried to travel more. I’ve tried to do bucket list type things.”

Tristan connected with professional kayaker Rush Sturges to check off one of those bucket list items—to kayak off a waterfall. But for someone who’s never kayaked before, learning to kayak and sending Husum Falls in just three days is an ambitious goal.

A film by River Roots Productions in association with NRS and 5Point Adventure Film Festival.