She joined the group on a hike and quickly found herself losing sight of everyone as she fell further and further behind. “Here I was, on an unfamiliar trail, by myself, not knowing where it was leading, but I kept going because I didn’t want to give up."
"Once I reached the top of the trail, the entire group was waiting for me. The group of about 30 hikers were not too happy about it either because they were experienced and expected you to know your own abilities. I essentially did the Hike of Shame the entire way back, coming in last and looking pretty ragged. I vowed from that moment to become a stronger hiker.”
Hiking four to five days a week on her own for several weeks, Katya developed her skills and became better and stronger, but after trying another hike with that same group, she found she still couldn’t keep up.
“I didn't completely lose sight of them, and it certainly wasn’t difficult to finish the hike, but they were going at such a fast clip. I realized then that I am not super-fast, nor do I want to be. For me, it’s not a race, it’s an enjoyable, healthy activity. It was then I realized there was a need for a different option. I thought, there must be others like me that want to do a reasonable amount of miles at a moderate pace, so I decided to start my own group."
"I took note of what was lacking with the groups already established, thought about how I wanted to present mine, and saw an opportunity to make a better hiking group. I wanted it to be friendly and welcoming, so I get to know my members on a personal level. It’s a group where you can meet new people and make friends because I make it social, interactive and fun; we don’t take ourselves too seriously. I never want anyone to feel like they don’t belong.”
