I began my journey into the wilderness at infancy. My parents had me on skis as soon as I could walk and swimming in lakes as soon as I could flounder. Even if I didn’t want to like being outside, I didn’t really have a choice. Luckily for me, I learned to love it!

My formative years were spent playing in the breathtaking landscapes of British Columbia, Canada. By age eight, I was living below the Southern Alps of Aotearoa New Zealand, where my connection to nature only deepened. As ambitious youth, my sister and I would talk about ascending great mountain peaks together – having no awareness of what that actually entailed.

It wasn’t until I was 23 years old when I discovered thru-hiking and my dreams shifted into long-distance expeditions. This is when I finally took my first steps towards realizing those dreams and completed Te Araroa NZ Trail; a 3,000km thru-hike of Aotearoa. This journey pushed my limits and expanded my mind to help me understand how capable I actually am. Most of all, it left me wanting more. So, amongst the search for what was next, I stumbled upon the Trans-Canada Trail; the longest network of multi-use trails in the world! How could it be, that the longest trail was in fact in my homeland?! A nation that I had already been yearning to re-discover, after so much time away.

Without allowing myself to give it much thought, I packed my bags and was on a one-way flight to Canada, only one month later. No plan, no savings – I just knew it was time to go back. Re-familiarising myself was a journey of it’s own. Amongst that journey though, there was one thought that stuck: The Trans-Canada Trail. It never seemed as though it would be within reach but it was a dream that persisted, and persisted, and persisted. Fast-forward two years and I have somehow gotten myself into a position to begin.

So, here is where I turn to share the stories of my adventures; how they have come, and will come, to be…