Meet Kim Tucker: Teens to Trails Gear Hero

Kim Tucker at the summit of the Dale Ball Trail in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

In February, Arizona-native Kim Tucker donated an Osprey backpack and more useful gear to Teens to Trails. To learn how she found us, and what motivated her to ship a big box across the country, we asked Tucker to share her outdoor story. 

Kim Tucker is an ER travel nurse, podcaster, avid runner and hiker. When she’s not working with patients, Tucker tries to spend as much time outdoors as possible. Growing up in the suburbs of Phoenix, she spent her outdoor time running at the local park with her dad, who was a PE teacher. “Even though I lived in Arizona,” she said, “I didn’t see the Grand Canyon until I was 17.”

It was on that inaugural trip with a friend to the Grand Canyon that Tucker first experienced hiking and camping. “There was so much beauty,” she said. “I couldn't believe I had never visited before.”

She has since traveled coast-to-coast, and has some favorite places. Her first travel nurse position took her to the Eastern Shore of Maryland. As someone who grew up in a desert climate, she was struck by the lush beauty of the Northeast. From Maryland, she traveled next to Arkansas. “I was blown away by how many lakes and green spaces were in Arkansas. It was there I hiked one of the coolest trails ever, complete with river crossings,” she said. In Arkansas, Tucker also started paddle boarding. Since then, she’s come to love being on the water and seeks out nursing gigs with lakes nearby. 

In addition to spending time outside, Tucker is the host of a podcast called, “People Are Wild,” which highlights medical topics from heart transplants to organ donors, and everything in between. She tackles these subjects with humor, refreshing honesty and pop culture references thrown into the mix. She said she started the podcast in 2018, as a means of answering her own medical questions. “After I see patients, I’m curious about what happens once they leave the room.”

Her experiences on the trail sometimes make the podcast, too. She recently interviewed the creator of Scat Belt, a company that designs belts that give hikers quick access to bear spray. When asked if she’s ever encountered a bear, Tucker said it’s happened a few times. Once, while running a loop in New Hampshire, she noticed a bear just off the trail. “Thankfully, it was occupied with eating berries. I backed away and ran one of the fastest miles I ever ran,” she said, laughing. Since then, she’s hyper vigilant about planning, and she checks trail reports in the spring and summer when bears are more prevalent. “’I’m not going to let fear overtake me. If I don’t feel comfortable, and my gut tells me something, I’ll turn around,” she said.

Tucker’s commitment to spending time outside is geared towards a need for self care, which has become even more of a focus over the past year. Since the pandemic began, her desire to reconnect with life outside of the hospital has intensified. “I turn off my phone, go for a run, a hike —all of it helps clear my head,” she said.

Tucker details her adventures on Instagram @thektuck. As a biracial woman, she is equally committed to promoting that women and people of color can experience the outdoors fully. “By sharing my own adventures, I’m hoping I can continue to move that narrative forward,” she said. “I’m finding more and more people are reaching out to me as a resource. I want to show all the beauty our earth has to offer.” 

Not only does Tucker promote her adventures to inspire others, she donates to organizations like ours to help more people enjoy the outdoors. A self-described outdoor gear junkie, Tucker said she found Teens to Trails while searching for nonprofits that upcycle. “I’m trying to be more conscious of my own foot print on this great planet. And I’ve been wanting to get more women and WOC out in nature. If I can promote that with paying it forward with some good gear, that’s a no brainer.”

Through her good work nursing, podcasting, sharing her travels, and making thoughtful donations, we’re grateful to Kim Tucker for her generosity and dedication to promoting the outdoors for all.