In a big, complex world where we’re all trying to do our part, we celebrate finding your own version of “doing good.” Maybe it’s returning the grocery cart, helping a neighbor, or – in the case of our Ambassador Nathan Menezes – inspiring others to get outside.

Nathan is an occupational therapist who explores the Canadian backcountry on his days off. He shares his adventures on @nomadicnaynay, inspiring others that the outdoors are for everyone – and you don’t need to be an expert to enjoy them.

We had a chance to chat with him about getting outside, his work as an occupational therapist, and balancing a 9-5 career with exploring the backcountry. Read on!

Toad: Thanks for chatting with us, Nathan! Your weekend warrior, outdoor adventures always make us stoked to get outside. When did you start exploring the outdoors? And what is your favorite way to get outside?

Nathan: I was born in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and my family moved to Ontario, Canada when I was about 10 years old. I grew up in the city and rarely ventured outdoors. It wasn’t until I began University and I started spending my summers in Alberta that I got outside. I was hired as a camp counselor, working with those living with disabilities, and returned for two summers because working there was truly a life changing experience (it’s why I’m an Occupational Therapist today!). While at the camp, my colleagues (who were local Albertans) introduced me to the outdoors.

I remember them taking me on my first hike at Waterton National Park like it was yesterday. It was a “moderately challenging” hike to an alpine lake. Moderately challenging? Are you kidding me – I was a newbie wearing running shoes! But it was all thrilling and emotional at the same time: I finally got to experience the magic of the Canadian Rockies. After that, the outdoors became a necessity. We would work a full week of camp then head to the mountains for much needed hiking, camping, or backpacking.

Fast forward to today, I made the move to Alberta with the Canadian Rockies as my backyard. My favourite way to explore the outdoors is through backpacking. Multi-day hikes are immersive – you experience all the sunsets, sunrises, sights, and sounds while sleeping under the stars, alpine showers, the list goes on… It requires hard work to get to the destination at times, but it is so, so worth it.

Toad: Amazing! There truly is something magical about getting outside. Can you share more about your work as an Occupational Therapist?

Nathan: I work as an Occupational Therapist Clinical Lead for Musculoskeletal and Neurosciences Rehabilitation Clinics in a pediatric outpatient hospital setting. My clients are aged 0-18 years. I treat various conditions such as upper extremity fractures, neuromotor conditions, congenital deformities, and mental health conditions. The environment is bright, my colleagues are a pleasure to work with, and the children are a treat to work with.

Speaking of the children, they are my motivation! More specifically, I love seeing the smiles when they get return to the things they love to do post-recovery. As an OT, my role is to facilitate function and independence with activities of daily living. By providing the skills and tools to participate in these activities independently, the children can pursue their own leisure and day-to-day tasks that we take for granted. The autonomy these children gain while we work towards their goals will contribute to their sense of purpose, self-esteem, and positive mental health as they grow.

In the words of Whitney Houston, “children are the future, teach them well and let them lead the way.” 😉

Toad: Yes! We love that. Relatedly, how do you balance a busy 9-5 work day with getting outside and into nature?

Nathan: Living in Calgary, Alberta makes it easy to get outdoors. The pediatric hospital I work at is vibrant and surrounded by green space. So much so that we have coyotes roaming the grounds in the early mornings and late evenings. Throughout the year, I spend my lunches outdoors going on walks or runs, which is a wonderful way to therapeutically reset mid-workday. I also walk my dog thrice a day for 30-60 minutes at a time, so he keeps me on my feet and outside throughout the week.

I also methodically plan my vacation and personal days to fit in backcountry trips or day hikes months in advance. We are always planning our next adventure, which keeps me fueled for the work week.

Toad: Last summer you told yourself you’d try and do one big hike every week – and you just about accomplished that! We know that it’s easy to get to the end of summer (or any season) and feel like you didn’t do everything you wanted to. Can you talk about setting this weekly hike goal and the motivation to follow through with it?

Nathan: One thing to take note of is that summer in Alberta is a total of 2-3 months, depending on the year. The window to get in all those camping, hiking, and backcountry trips is exceedingly small.

This past El Nino winter was challenging as we did not have much snow in the Canadian Rockies. This made winter activities hard as we were unable to go downhill skiing (not enough snow), cross-country skiing (too icy and thinning), and hiking (really frigid days followed by warm chinooks created avalanche risk).

So, when June came around, I convinced my partner and myself that we need to make use of the warmer days ahead whenever possible. We kept each other accountable for this on weekends when it was harder to make time to get outside. Choosing a hike used to be such a daunting task – I keep a running list of hikes I have not done so when it comes time, that is not a barrier to getting outside. My Dutch Shepherd, Forest, also requires a lot of exercise. My 9-5 creates guilt sometimes while my pup freeloads at home on the couch. Our strenuous hikes on the weekends helps balance this and puts him out for a day or so!

Toad: Okay, now we want to create our own hiking bucket list! What message do you hope your community on @nomadicnaynay takes away from your adventures?

Nathan: I hope that my adventures are inspiring and continue to portray that the “Outdoors are for everyone.” I did not grow up with the outdoors, it was something that I learned to pick up and enjoy overtime. And you don’t need to be an expert at something to be able to enjoy it.

I love participating in a variety of activities like backpacking, camping, cycling, skiing, and climbing, but I am mediocre at best. I rely on community for support, guidance, and a sense of belonging. With this I am continuing to learn each time I engage in these activities and that is truly the fun of it all!

Toad: Finally, we ask all of our Ambassadors this: what does “doing good” mean to you?

Nathan: “Doing good” means facilitating kindness and compassion in this world. Whether that’s giving your time to someone, making someone smile, sharing positivity, checking in, and sharing.