Alumni and Friends Directory

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Biography

Larry Gelwix is the CEO of Columbus Travel and is featured as the “Getaway Guru” on radio and television. Mr. Gelwix and Mark Faldmo founded Columbus Travel in 2001, a company that has experienced double-digit growth and been profitable since its creation.

Mr. Gelwix’s syndicated live radio program, called “The Travel Show,” is heard every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. throughout the Intermountain West via Clear Channel Communications. It can be heard in Logan on 610 KVNU. He is also featured every Wednesday as the “Getaway Guru” on KUTV 2 News This Morning.

For 33 years, he has coached the Highland Rugby team in Salt Lake City and its record of 379 wins and nine losses, including 18 national championships in 24 years, is unparalleled. In addition to playing other US high schools, Highland has sought out top competitors in places such as New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Tonga, England, Wales, Zimbabwe, Japan, South Africa, and Hawaii.

The success of Mr. Gelwix’s team inspired the movie, “Forever Strong.” Many people have compared it to “Remember the Titans,” but have maintained that the story, which played out in Salt Lake City, was even more inspiring. “Forever Strong” was released nationally in fall of 2008. It was directed by Ryan Little, known for the 2003 movie, “Saints and Soldiers,” a film that went on to win best picture at more than fourteen film festivals. The Salt Lake Tribune gave the movie 3-1/2 out of 4 stars.

Mr. Gelwix, who was born and raised in San Francisco, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s degree in organizational communications from Brigham Young University.

He was the owner of a travel agency that had 45 offices in several western states and 400 employees when it was sold in 1995. He was also the CEO of WinAir Airlines, a charter airline that flew nine B-737 jet aircraft throughout the United States and the Caribbean before he founded Columbus Travel.

He lives in Salt Lake City and is married to Cathy Hales Gelwix and they are parents of five children.