DEPEW, N.Y. (WKBW) — Mike Radomski fell in love with hiking when his friend brought him to his first mountain. Ever since he conquered that peak, he fell in love with it. Now, he wants to pass that joy on to others.
"Because my friend introduced me to the outdoors, I also wanted to introduce other people to the outdoors," Radomski said.
Radomski is the Founder of Western New York Hiking Challenge. When he created the challenge in 2019, it took off. So far, they've raised over $250,000 toward trail conservation and maintenance. Not only is the challenge important for the wellness and general upkeep of nature, it's also for the people that are hiking the trails.
Radomski said this challenge has helped people who suffered from anxiety and stress during the pandemic. He's seen people genuinely benefit from the challenge, which is something that means more to him than a dollar figure.
"I thought a challenge like this would motivate people to get outside, give them a list of things to do, and just give them a goal to shoot for," Radomski said.
Thousands of people have taken part in this challenge over its four years, but again, it's not about the numbers to Radomski. He said while he wants as many people to sign up as possible, it's about the love he has for the organization as well. It's his love for hiking and nature that motivates him to continue this.
"I'd do it even if there were only a handful of people doing it," Radomski said.
The challenge rules for the Winter Hiking Challenge are as follows:
- Complete 8 of 20 local trails between December 21, 2022 and March 20, 2023.
- Take a selfie of yourself hiking on the trail at a landmark.
- Put your selfie on the submission page.
After you complete those steps, you'll get a hiking patch, a sticker, and new hiking buddies.
For more information, or if you want to register for the hiking challenge, you can click here to check it out.
