In the 2014 film Wild, Cheryl Strayed, played by Reese Witherspoon, goes on a solo hiking trip along the Pacific Crest Trail—a challenging trail that spans 2,650 miles—after her mother’s passing and the end of her marriage. The character, who has no prior experience with the outdoors, starts her journey with just a backpack and some willpower.
Sometimes in life, situations drive people to do the unthinkable. Maria Camargo, founder and CEO of coaching institute SummaWork, knows this all too well. She hiked the same treacherous trail that Strayed did in Wild during a very complicated time in her life.
“I went into the woods by myself for four days,” Carmargo says. “I just needed to be with myself.” At that point in her life, Camargo was transitioning from married to separated and felt called to reconnect with herself on a deeper level.
Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail gave Camargo the opportunity to confront her emotions, reflect on her past and focus on her own personal growth. Allowing herself to embrace the unknown on this journey gave her a newfound sense of self and a strong desire to take control of her life. “I realized that I didn’t need anyone to make me happy,” she says.
This experience served as a catalyst for Camargo’s personal healing journey. By immersing herself in nature and embracing the challenges of the trail, she discovered a sense of inner strength that propelled her towards independence. “That’s when I started learning more about finance, how to invest, and started doing everything on my own,” the CEO adds.
Camargo sees her story as an illustration of how something as simple as being outdoors, breathing in fresh air and moving your body can provide clarity about life’s ups and downs. She believes these activities not only benefit your physical health, but also work wonders to improve your mental and emotional well-being too.
The CEO, who is also a marathon runner, has experienced firsthand the way physical movement can help you discover things about yourself you didn’t know before. “When I started running marathons, I learned that it doesn’t matter how painful they are or how fun they are. It doesn’t matter how much you train, because when you get there, you don’t know what’s going to happen,” Camargo says. “It’s really cool.”
Embracing uncertainty—whether on a run or in life—is something Camargo advocates. She believes that just as in marathon running, where one cannot predict the outcome despite training, life itself is unpredictable—but that’s what makes it so beautiful. “Every time I go on a run, I love to connect with nature. I see the birds. I see the people walking and running by,” the CEO adds. “It gives me this sense of being alive, and I’m so grateful for it.”
In Camargo’s experience, her good ideas come to her when she spends time outdoors, but allowing yourself the freedom to run and be one with nature can sometimes bring up challenging feelings, such as negative thoughts or memories of past experiences. “Sometimes we run with a bunch of people on our shoulder, and we have to stop, unload them, and run by ourselves,” she says. “So, when I start thinking about the problems or situations, I remember that. I let everybody down from my shoulder and then I keep running by myself.”
In 2022, Camargo ran a marathon in Sacramento while in the process of selling her home. “I was very emotionally charged,” she recalls. She says she broke down after reaching 21.5 miles—something that had never happened to her in a marathon before.
The CEO remembers this sense of despair coming over her. “I grabbed my phone and called my sister. Thankfully, she picked up and walked me through it,” she adds. “I was with her on the phone for literally half a mile, and I was like, ‘OK, thank you.’ I put my phone down and continued to run and finish the marathon.”
Camargo sees this experience as a testament to the transformative power of outdoor adventures and physical activity. Whether you’re hiking through rugged wilderness or pounding the pavement in a marathon, she believes the act of pushing yourself physically can unlock inner strength and resilience that can transcend into all aspects of life.
It’s important to have someone who can guide and support you throughout this journey, especially when life feels too hard and you’re breaking down. Camargo says she has become that person for many people through SummaWork, helping them find more joy, love and creativity in their daily lives.
As the CEO continues to provide coaching services to individuals and organizations, she encourages people to embrace the unknown, confront their fears and embark on their own journeys of self-discovery. For Camargo, the path to personal growth lies not in avoiding challenges, but in facing them head-on with courage and determination.
