Molly spent her youth in the Oregon outdoors, whether downhill skiing, rock climbing, rafting, or backpacking. She was adopted from Korea at three months of age, and grew up with parents and two older brothers who always encouraged her to be outside. She took her first paddle raft trip down the Grand Canyon when she was 13. It was there that she fell in love with rivers and rocks, and the next summer she attended Volcanology Camp for ten days of backpacking and soil sampling in the Cascades. Within a couple years, Molly was leading backpacking and rafting trips, and teaching kids Leave-No-Trace ethics. She continued her outdoor pursuits while attending Oregon State University, where she studied all sorts of things; ultimately earning her Bachelor’s degree in Health Behavior and Education.
"My dad and brothers hunt and fish, and despite my mother’s protests big game or salmon were always on the dinner table. It was in this polarized environment that I learned to find balance in why we hunt to eat."
She picked up fly fishing in Seattle where she was working in pediatric pulmonary research. After chasing sea run cutthroat and coho for a few years, she took a job at an Alaskan sport fishing lodge while attending graduate school in public health. The combination of life in Bristol Bay and public health training solidified Molly’s belief that nature is medicine.
Molly earned her Master’s degree with a concentration in epidemiology, and moved to northwest Montana, where she finally made time to start hunting. To Molly, hunting completes her intense desire to feed anyone and everyone around her a home cooked meal. She’s most at home in a river kitchen, but she’ll settle for an indoor one as long as she has some meat, a pile of vegetables, and a cast iron skillet. She enjoys upland bird hunting with her griffon, Winston, and has aspirations to harvest her first elk either in Oregon or Montana in the autumn of 2019.
In her professional work, Molly researches evidence based medicine, and writes medical policy. She is a Life Member of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, and serves as a volunteer Board Member for Montana BHA. Her volunteer role on the Board is an immense privilege that helps immerse her in issues that are pertinent to sportsmen and women in her community. With the support of her boyfriend, Alex, Molly completed her first 50k ultramarathon in 2019 as a means to stay in shape for archery season. Together, Molly and Alex enjoy fishing the three forks of the Flathead River, continuously training for archery season, skiing and backpacking.
Follow Molly on Instagram @mollyvandevoort