Virtual Campfire #1 - Will "Akuna" Robinson, Cloi Crider, Ash Czarnota

Welcome to the Hiking My Feelings Virtual Campfire. This 20-day event is a fundraiser for the Hiking My Feelings Wilderness Wellness Center, the American Diabetes Association, and RAINN - the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization.

Each night from May 26-June 14, 2020 we are going live at 5pm PT to bring inspiration, hope, and healing to the community in these uncertain times.

If you find value in what we're sharing here, please consider making a contribution to our non-profit organization. You can get tickets to the Virtual Campfire at https://hikingmyfeelings.org/campfire and you can make a one-time donation at https://hikingmyfeelings.org/give

Our guests tonight are:

Will "Akuna" Robinson - Akuna is the first black male hiker to earn the Triple Crown of Hiking - a feat that requires hiking at least 8,000 miles around the US on the Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail. A former US Army veteran, Akuna has been spending the majority of his time on these long-distance scenic trails since 2016 to help manage his PTSD. We talk about his adventures in the outdoors, what it means to be the first black man to earn the Triple Crown, and how to make the outdoors a more inclusive place. You can find Akuna on Instagram - @akunahikes

Cloi Crider is a singer/songwriter and her voice is magic - have a listen to two of her original songs and be sure to follow her on Instagram - @cloicridermusic.

Mark Rickmeier is the brains behind TableXI, a software company in Chicago. So what's he doing here? A few years ago, he went to Scotland for a hike, and invited a bunch of executives to join him. The premise is simple - what is possible when we spend the day on our feet, exhausting ourselves physically, with no connection to the outside world? What kind of innovation could come from that? What kinds of soul-shifting conversations could come from that? On the first trip he organized, only three hikers completed the hike. He got home, posted about it on LinkedIn, and his network asked when the next one was happening. And so, Walkshop was born. TableXI and Walkshop are both sponsors of the Hiking My Feelings Virtual Campfire, and we're excited to talk to MJ, the CEO of Walkshop, on June 5.

Ash Czarnota is a freelance marketing consultant by day, who was supposed to be traversing the Pacific Crest Trail as we speak. Unfortunately, COVID-19 had other plans for her first monster thru-hike. We chat a bit about her adventures on the Trans-Catalina Trail and what life is like in the aftermath of canceling an adventure she had invested two years of her life, savings, and logistical wizardry to coordinate.