Today we’d like to introduce you to Victor Martinez.
Hi Victor, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In late October of 2006, at the ripe age of 18, I moved out on my own and made the decision to challenge myself by climbing the corporate ladder at my new finance company job while simultaneously pursuing my dreams of one day becoming a famous sports writer. A few semesters of community college later everything began to slowly crumble as I faced struggles with keeping a balance between schoolwork, paying bills on time, and a healthy lifestyle. Luckily I was pretty good at my job and was able to get promoted quickly but this translated to many more hours at the office and less time for everything else. After dropping out, I shifted my energy towards my newfound success at work and for years upon years, I was caught up in this corporate “suit and tie” lifestyle. During those years, I kept my sanity by exploring out of the box theories on the origins of mankind, focusing on spirituality, and developing a love for nature and the great outdoors. In October of 2017, I created @LATRAILKILLERS hiking group on Instagram and that sparked a light in me. On Thursday evenings, I’d publicly post details for a hike I’d have planned for that coming Sunday. The objective was always to explore less trafficked “off-grid” sites that can be found just outside of the Los Angeles area.
To my surprise, I was able to convince an average of 15 or more friends and strangers to gather and join along on my adventures. From that point on my mission was to help inspire people of all fitness levels to get outdoors and explore brand new places they had never been to or even heard of before. After several successful completed trails, I began to incorporate some of my personal philosophies of introspection into the mix. Now the group serves as a platform where I can guide others on amazing scenic hikes while teaching to respect nature and also setting aside a moment at the peak to reflect and reset spiritually. I’ve also been able to organize several camping road trips out to the forest and desert as well as bungee jumping and even skydiving trips while always remaining mindful of the goal of disconnecting to reconnect. With the help of many friends, I’ve made along the way I’ve applied what I’ve learned about spirituality and mindfulness into every hiking trip and had the privilege of creating a safe space where people can take a break from their work week not by escaping reality but by finding it.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Nothing in life is ever a smooth road but you learn to enjoy the ride. The biggest struggle so far has been the pandemic preventing my ability to host the public hikes as I normally used to. However, this has transformed the hiking group into more of a movement with people seeking to nurture their mental health out in nature more often. I’ve seen a rise in people tagging the Instagram @LATRAILKILLERS page on their outdoor adventures.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My proudest moments have come from being able to inspire people of all fitness levels to come out and challenge themselves by making their way up to the summit of a mountain. Then after celebrating, I surprise them with the meditation that comes next, where we give ourselves a moment of silence and serenity while disconnecting from the stressful sounds of the city and immersing ourselves in the blissful calm of nature.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latrailkillers/
https://www.instagram.com/vic_of_earth/ - Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsGCJT6kBX3su7ssLUHMvlQ
