This weekend was a unique one for me as I headed to California for a camping trip. First, it was one of the first trips I’d taken since COVID-19. Second, it was a chance to get out and see the start of the HIT Like A Girl Podcast’s epic journey across the country and back ending at the HIMSS 2021 conference in Las Vegas. That’s right, Joy Rios (@askjoyrios) and Shereese Maynard (@ShereeseMayMba) have started their 3 month journey across the US and back as they host hikes with Women in Health IT across the country and record HIT Like a Girl podcast episodes with many of these women.
When I heard about this ambitious venture, I knew that I had to see it firsthand so I could share what they’re doing with the broader Healthcare IT Today community. After spending the weekend with Joy and Shereese in Joshua Tree where they held a great hike with some amazing women and a stop in the middle of nowhere (ie. BLM desert land) in between California and Arizona that included a converted school bus (see picture), dancing, a drone, a beautiful sunset and more, I sat down with Joy and Shereese to share more about the start of their journey and what they’re hoping to accomplish in the next 3 months. Check out our interview below.
I love the multi faceted vision they share in our interview. First, brining people together to connect and network as we all try to deal with the pains we experienced (and are still experiencing) during COVID-19. There’s something healing about getting out in nature and that feeling multiplies when you do it with great people like the HIT like a Girl podcast community.
Second, inspiring people to get out of their comfort zones and try things that they were scared to do is beautiful as well. It was so brave for Joy and Shereese to plan a trip like this without knowing how they were going to pay for it and if anyone would show up to the events. As they recounted in the video above, their bravery has inspired others to be brave and try new things as well.
If you want to learn more about their journey and track their adventures as they cross the country, be sure to subscribe to the HIT like a Girl YouTube channel and check out the #HITtheTrails hashtag on Twitter. Also, be sure to check out when they’re in your area and sign up to participate in one of their hikes (Note: All skill levels welcome!).
Plus, as they mention in the video, gas isn’t cheap. They do have sponsorships available or you can even just buy them a tank of gas or a night at an AirBnB. Healthcare IT Today was happy to support them and it’s been great to have our name associated with such a great venture. Check out their current sponsors below to see the great companies and organizations supporting their trip already:
As you can probably tell, I was personally inspired by the #HITtheTrails effort. One day I probably would have been sitting around watching Netflix, but I changed my mind and went out on a hike thanks to #HITtheTrails. Plus, seeing these incredible women in health IT come together in Joshua Tree in such a supportive way was something I’ll never forget.
