The Outwild Ambassador Program

Outwild Ambassadors are past attendees who go above and beyond to serve the Outwild community. They are people we feel share our values and embody the Outwild spirit. If you are considering attending an Outwild event, we would encourage you to contact your ambassadors by email for a 15 minute chat about what attending Outwild is like! If you have specific logistical questions about the event, please reach out to hello@outwild.co 

 
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CHRISSY VAN HOEVER

chrissie.van.hoever@gmail.com

When I went to the first Outwild event, my son, Finn, was about two years old. And while I love nothing more on earth than this tiny human, after he was born I felt like I had lost myself. My husband, Paul, and I had a great community of friends we climbed and traveled with to get outside and play. But after Finn, just getting to the climbing gym together was an enormous feat, much less getting outside. I either lost focus of the things that brought me joy or just didn’t give them priority. But recognizing we needed to disrupt the cycle, Paul and I took a leap of faith and went to the first Outwild event together.

I was extremely anxious when we first arrived, worried that I wasn’t outdoorsy or athletic enough to be there. But all those self-conscious feelings quickly disappeared. Everyone had a different reason to be there, but we all shared similar passions for the outdoors—in whatever capacity. There were no egos, no judgement. Everyone was just eager to listen and to learn. Surrounded by a landscape too beautiful for words, we bonded over meals, in workshops and activities, and a dance party under the stars.

For the first time in a long time, I felt engaged with the world. Even after coming home, I remember walking down the hall at my corporate office and still having a tingling feeling that I can only describe as feeling alive in my own skin. Which, having felt detached and numb to everything for too long, was an exhilarating feeling.

I have been back for two more Outwild events. The Outwild team—Courtney, Sanni, and Jeremy—is passionate about their mission and they do an outstanding job of curating thought-provoking and rejuvenating weekends packed full of inspiring talks, action-oriented workshops, delicious meals, and just plain fun outside. The retreats have given me the space to reflect on my life and values, and resources to make meaningful changes towards being my best self and living my best life with my family.

Finding Outwild and being a part of this community has been life-changing. Looking back at the past year and a half, it’s amazing to see how far Paul and I have come. Everything from changing our diets and being more mindful of our daily impact on the environment to taking more outdoor-focused trips and starting my own business. Outwild impacted all of that. Best of all, I have found lifelong friends and a support network that gives me the courage to live the life that brings me the most joy. You only get one, after all.

 
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PETER CHEE

peter@thinkspace.com

Excited. Nervous. Unsure.

I registered for Outwild as a birthday gift to myself. It was a way to celebrate doing something adventurous for myself. Connecting with 100 strangers with a single common bond, a love for the mountains, seemed like a great way to celebrate life. The funny thing is that while they might be mountain lovers, 99% of these attendees were rock climbers and I’m the 1% that wasn’t! The thought of intentional life design with more integration of the outdoors into my life felt exactly like what I needed. Nothing recharges me more than trail running or hiking in the mountains.

All that good stuff and I still almost didn’t attend. I bought my plane ticket just days before. I got a spot on the shuttle bus at the last second when someone somehow sold me their spot. I had tons of excuses like I was just too busy with work and I almost let the inner voices talk me out of going. But I quieted those voices and said, no, this is an adventure that I need to give to myself. I said I was going and that was my commitment to myself.

I set my intention before attending Outwild and it was to leave everything that I’ve done and accomplished in Seattle and show up as just myself like I was back in 6th grade. I wanted to see if I could be comfortable in my own skin. Some of these questions entered my head: Will anyone talk with me? Will anyone like me? I just wanted to experience pure connection. Before going and definitely at a few different times throughout my time there I started to get back in my head, and, I’d just remind myself, stay present in this moment, stay present in each conversation with each person.

One of the best workshops that I attended was on Intentional Life Design and creating my Odyssey Life Plan. For many years, I’ve been on a physical endurance journey, but, now I feel like I’ve just started on a new “marathon” arc that feels so adventurous and it’s helping me transition through love, health, play, and work -- to rebuild it into something much more meaningful. I’m on a new path and this journey is routing me through Outwild for Entrepreneurs in order to create a new startup that has complete alignment with our life core values and a mission to have a global impact. I’m really recognizing I’ve got this one life and I just want to really be alive and feel everything through it. No compromising, no settling.  

Ultimately I came out of the Outwild experience with a feeling of acceptance of myself for who I really am and I also came away with one of the most important friendships in my life. Outwild is easily a top 5 life experience for me. Morning yoga, cold river plunge, meditation, mindfulness workshops, watching badass rock climbers, running with ultra runners on the Western States Trail, inspiring speakers, campfires, and confronting my fear of going solo to this festival combined with a huge fear of dancing. Oh and vegetarian meals were incredibly good!