Unlikely Stories Podcast Derick Lugo

With an Instagram following of more than 360k, you might have heard of Pattie Gonia. But she is more than just an Instagram influencer posting elaborate photos in five-inch heels and full-blown makeup in the wilderness. This drag queen is building a community for queer people, allies, and our planet.

Today we talk with Wyn Wiley, also known as Pattie Gonia, to learn what it means to be an environmentalist drag queen, how a photographer from Nebraska found himself wearing knee-high boots and false lashes in the forest, and what choosing yourself can look like.

Topics covered in this episode:

· Her, him & they.
· Choosing oneself.
· Wyn shares his thoughts on environmental care.
· The most important question: Who does Pattie’s makeup?

To learn more about Wyn Wiley and Pattie Gonia, follow them on Instagram at @pattiegonia.

This episode is supported by Kula Cloth, the antimicrobial pee cloth for anyone who squats when they pee. Learn more at www.kulacloth.com & Instagram @kulacloth.

We hope you enjoyed this episode. Come check us out at www.UnlikelyStoriesPodcast.com & Instagram @UnlikelyStoriesPodcast.

Pattie Gonia is an environmental advocate and backpacking drag queen, made famous through her vibrant social media presence. Through her work advocating for LGBTQ people in the outdoors, she has created a vibrant community that exists to explore the connection between self-identity, sexuality, and the natural world. Outside of heels, Wyn Wiley has worked as a photographer, speaker, and teacher, who created Pattie after strutting around a peak in Colorado and evolved her into the outdoor community voice she is today.

Topics covered in this episode:
- Wyn’s upbringing in the Midwest and how he grew into an LGBTQ advocate
- How we all perform drag to some extent
- How the drag persona Pattie Gonia was born, and how she is different from Wyn
- How Wyn/Pattie use drag to advocate for the environment

To learn more about Wyn Wiley and Pattie Gonia, follow them on Instagram at @pattiegonia.

This episode is supported by Kula Cloth, the antimicrobial pee cloth for anyone who squats when they pee. Learn more at www.kulacloth.com & Instagram @kulacloth.

We hope you enjoyed this episode. Come check us out at www.UnlikelyStoriesPodcast.com & Instagram @UnlikelyStoriesPodcast.

Representation is a key piece to making the outdoors a more inclusive and welcoming place. While seeing more diversity in the world of professional athletes helps, it’s equally important to have this diversity in the groups we join in the outdoors. That’s where the mission of Inclusive Outdoors Project starts, as they strive to bridge the gap between affinity spaces and outdoor organizations.

In this episode, Inclusive Outdoors Project founders Sophia Bielsky and Vasu Sojitra discuss the philosophy and mission behind their organization, and how their clinics are helping to shift the perceptions of the outdoor industry.

Topics covered in this episode:
• What inspires us to get outside.
• The importance of inclusive terminology.
• The power of affinity spaces.
• Establishing an organization during COVID.

To learn more about Inclusive Outdoors Project, visit inclusiveoutdoorsproject.com; IG @inclusiveoutdoorsproject.

This episode is supported by Kula Cloth, the antimicrobial pee cloth for anyone who squats when they pee. Learn more at www.kulacloth.com & Instagram @kulacloth.

We hope you enjoyed this episode. Come check us out at www.UnlikelyStoriesPodcast.com & Instagram @UnlikelyStoriesPodcast.

Earl B. Hunter Jr. knows how to bring people together. He is widely recognized for his exuberant personality, hard work ethic, and non-traditional approach to building relationships, which has proved effective in his efforts to increase diversity in the outdoors industry.

Hunter is the founder and CEO of Black Folks Camp Too, a marketing-driven business that focuses on making camping and the outdoors more inviting and interesting to the BIPOC communities that aren’t always represented in the industry. The idea sprung from a camping trip in 2015, where Hunter and his son traveled across the United States in an RV, visiting 49 campgrounds in 20 states, and only seeing one other Black family camping during the whole trip.

Topics covered in this episode:
• Hunter’s vision behind Black Folks Camp Too.
• The importance of inclusivity in the outdoor industry.
• The meaning behind the Unity Blaze design.

To learn more about Earl B. Hunter Jr. and Black Folks Camp Too, visit BlackFolksCampToo.com; IG @blackfolkscamptoo

This episode is supported by Kula Cloth, the antimicrobial pee cloth for anyone who squats when they pee. Learn more at www.kulacloth.com & Instagram @kulacloth.

We hope you enjoyed this episode. Come check us out at www.UnlikelyStoriesPodcast.com & Instagram @UnlikelyStoriesPodcast

In 2011, Jennifer Pharr Davis set the overall fastest known time on the Appalachian Trail, hiking the 2,185-mile footpath from Georgia to Maine in just 46 days. Today, she continues to wow athletes with her accomplishments, including backpacking 700 miles pregnant, walking across North Carolina while nursing her newborn son, and hiking in all 50 states with her two-year-old daughter.

Pharr Davis is an internationally recognized adventurer, speaker, author, and entrepreneur who has hiked more than 14,000 miles of trails on six different continents. She’s currently serving on President Biden’s Council of Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, and played a prominent role in the 2020 IMAX film 'Into America’s Wild.'

Topics covered in this episode:
• What she was thinking when she set the overall FKT record on the Appalachian Trail.
• What it means to be a woman who set the overall FKT on a long trail.
• Sponsorships in the outdoor community.
• Despite what people say, Pharr Davis does not have superpowers.
• The importance of getting outside, no matter where you are.
• Go-to gear items.

To learn more about Jennifer Pharr Davis, visit her website at www.jenniferpharrdavis.com;
IG: @jenpharrdavis

This episode is supported by Kula Cloth, the antimicrobial pee cloth for anyone who squats when they pee. Learn more at www.kulacloth.com & Instagram @kulacloth.

This episode is supported by LEKI, makers of the world’s best poles since 1948. www.Leki.com & Instagram @lekiusa

We hope you enjoyed this episode. Come check us out at www.UnlikelyStoriesPodcast.com & Instagram @UnlikelyStoriesPodcast

Fans of ultrarunning might be familiar with athlete, speaker, and author of the best-selling book ‘A Beautiful Work in Progress,’ Mirna Valerio. Also known as ‘The Mirnavator,’ Valerio promotes body positivity, health awareness, and diversity in the running and outdoor industry as she runs marathons and ultramarathons around the country and advocates for inclusion for people of all shapes, sizes, race, gender, and background.

Her story has inspired a movement encouraging people everywhere to be whoever they want to be and do whatever makes them happy. In 2018, she was named a National Geographic "Adventurer of the Year.”

Topics covered in this episode:
• Mirna’s first introduction to the outdoors.
• The ups and downs of running long distance—and why she loves it.
• How she addresses and fights back against negativity.
• The role she plays in the outdoor industry and how she motivates others to do what they want.
• Her new book, ‘A Beautiful Work in Progress.’
• Her favorite piece of gear to bring on the trail.
To learn more about Mirna Valerio, visit her website at themirnavator.com.
IG: @themirnavator

This episode is supported by LEKI, makers of the world’s best poles since 1948. www.Leki.com & Instagram @lekiusa

We hope you enjoyed this episode. Come check us out at www.UnlikelyStoriesPodcast.com & Instagram @UnlikelyStoriesPodcast