Get out and have fun

1 of 5Mountain biking is one sport Natasha Lockey enjoys coaching. — Photo courtesy Natasha Lockey

2 of 5Snowshoeing is an activity that can accommodate every level of fitness. — Photo courtesy Natasha Lockey

3 of 5Kootenay Mountain Bike Coaching helps individuals master the sport. — Photo courtesy Natasha Lockey

4 of 5Lockey guides trips that help people find friends and active communities. — Photo courtesy Natasha Lockey

5 of 5Women love discovering the sport of mountain biking. — Photo courtesy Natasha Lockey

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Green living and active living tend to go hand in hand. Whether it’s biking to work or turning off the television to go hiking, getting active is rarely anything but a benefit in a number of ways. A lot of women around the Kootenays—along with youngsters and a few men—can thank Natasha Lockey for teaching them that getting exercise doesn’t have to be an intimidating or dreadful experience.

Lockey started out guiding with her Betty Go Hard brand, but her passion for getting people involved in adventure sports has continued to grow. Today she runs Kootenay Mountain Bike Coaching along with Ryan Kuhn of Cycleye as well as Kootenay Snowshoeing and Kootenay Mountain Shuttle.

“I’ve really realized, through this whole experience, how intimidating going outside—in the snow, in the dark—can be to somebody,” said Lockey. “If you put all those factors together, people really aren’t that comfortable with going for a snowshoe around the resort at night. Then once you open up those boundaries people are like, ‘Oh. That really wasn’t that scary. So what are all the other things that I’m scared of going and doing?’”

Based in Rossland, Lockey now takes her programs throughout the Kootenays. Building a business in an adventure sports market takes creativity but Lockey said she enjoys helping her clients unlock a confidence that goes along with mastering a new skill and getting active. It opens doors and opportunities, she said. Snowshoeing and mountain biking might seem intimidating at first glance but, as Lockey points out, they were created to be fun, not scary.

“I’m not an adrenalin junkie,” she said. “I’m not a super athletic person. I just really like to get out and play outside and I just want other people to recognize that. We see the things that intimidate us—we don’t see the things that inspire us. So I try to put the things that inspire people in front of them.”

Although taking a passion and fitting it into a business framework had its difficulties, Lockey has found plenty of people who are ready to embrace her fun outlook on exercise. She continues to love building the community and helping people find the tools to move forward in their new-found sports.

And where is the best place to start? Forget about being intimidated and just give it a shot.

“I know how hard it is to be outside of the box and I know how hard it is to find people that are of the same level and enjoy the same things you do,” said Lockey. "I just want to help people get out and play. If you’re not having fun you’re doing it wrong, right?”