Tough Girl Podcast Vivianette Ortiz - Outdoors & Disability Rights Advocate. Co-Founder of Latinos Aventureros. Completing the Inca Trail in Peru and her plans to section hike the Appalachian Trail.
Vivianette Ortiz is a Latina originally from Puerto Rico. She grew up in the beach and mountain town of Patillas, Puerto Rico. She grew up running the hills of her hometown, bodyboarding, loving the ocean, and playing hide-in-seek barefoot through the farmlands.
Vivianette moved to North Carolina at the age of 17. She is a dedicated mother, daughter, and granddaughter. For a long time, she worked countless hours daily with 2 or 3 jobs at a time. Her adventurous soul went dormant for many years due to everyday responsibilities.
Since arriving in North Carolina she has always gone back to the island to visit family and enjoy the feeling of freedom there. Going back to the island would help the homesickness she felt here on the mainland. Due to Covid restrictions, her traveling ceased for a while she found herself extremely homesick and depressed.
Through social media, she found a North Carolina hiking group page. Discovering the outdoors again provided her with a connection to home. Her love for nature and the Latino community led her to be one of the founders of the group Latinos Aventureros en las Carolinas. She is proud to combine her love for the outdoors with her passion for the Hispanic community through her role as the Executive Director of Latinos Aventureros.
She has completed over 130 hikes throughout the Carolinas in 2022, and 76 hikes in 2021.
In 2022 was able to fulfill a lifelong dream of visiting Peru, and completing the Inca Trail. She hopes to start the Appalachian Trail by sections in 2023.
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Show Notes
- Who is Vivianette
- Her passion for going outside and travelling
- Working as a disability rights advocate
- Growing up in Puerto Rico
- Being an ocean girl and her passion for the water
- Not being encouraged to spend time in the outdoors
- Being dedicated to work and working 2/3 jobs to support her family
- Being a single mother
- Moving to North Carolina at 17 years old
- The impact of Covid
- Being very depressed and looking for things to do
- Joining a social media friend for a hike
- Her first memorable sunrise hike on Roan Mountain
- The gradual change after going on more hikes
- Finding her passion of spending time in the outdoors
- Practical tips and advice
- Hiking with her children
- Starting Latinos Aventureros in October 2021
- Building a camping gear closet
- Being able to take families out camping
- Doing the Inca Trail in 2022
- Planning for 2 years
- The challenges of the trail
- Just keep going
- The mental side of hiking
- Why self motivation is important
- Plans for 2023
- Finding education and training for the leaders
- The importance of resting and figuring out what your body needs
- Making time to go hiking on her own
- Hiking without an agenda
- Plans for section hiking the Appalachian trail in 2023
- Support, sponsorship and funding for the Latinos Aventureros
- The Year of the Trail
- Disability rights and hiking
- The need for disability rights advocates
- Looking up trails on line to see if they are accessible
- All Trails App
- How you can use your voice
- How to connect online
- Advice for women who want to get out hiking and spend more time in the outdoors
- Why it's ok to ask for help
- Words of encouragement in Spanish
Social Media
Instagram @vivi.la.exploradora
Facebook - Vivianette Ortiz
Facebook Group - Latinos Aventureros en las Carolinas
Linktree - https://linktr.ee/latinosaventureros