From Classroom to Backcountry: How Wilderness Education Shaped My Path as a Physical Therapist and Leader
Hayley McCurdy, PT, DPT, CSCS, NREMT, WPT-FR
In March of 2025, I attended a Wilderness Physical Therapy Educators course with curiosity, excitement, and an open mind. At the time, I knew I wanted to expand my skill set beyond the clinic walls, but I didn’t yet realize how profoundly that experience would shape my professional journey.
What began as continuing education quickly became a catalyst for growth, purpose, and new opportunities.
Discovering the Power of Wilderness Medicine
The course challenged me to think differently about patient care, decision-making, and leadership in unpredictable environments. Learning to assess, treat, and adapt in wilderness settings reinforced the importance of critical thinking, calm under pressure, and resourcefulness, skills that translate directly into both clinical practice and real-world emergencies.
More importantly, it reminded me that physical therapy does not exist in isolation. Movement, health, and recovery are deeply connected to environment, access, and preparedness. The Wilderness Physical Therapy Educators gave me a broader lens through which to view my role as a healthcare professional.
Expanding My Scope: Becoming an NREMT
Inspired by this experience, I took the next step and pursued my National Registry Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT) certification. This decision was driven by a desire to serve more effectively in remote and high-risk settings, particularly in support of wildland fire operations as I eventually pursue this area on an as-needed basis.
Wildland firefighters operate in some of the most physically demanding and hazardous environments imaginable. With my combined background in physical therapy and emergency medical response, I am better equipped to contribute to their safety, injury prevention, and recovery.
This integration of disciplines has strengthened my confidence and reinforced my belief that healthcare professionals can, and should, adapt to meet the needs of diverse environments.
Building Community Through Adventure: Wandering Sole Running Escapes
Around the same time, another vision began to take shape.
I founded Wandering Sole Running Escapes, a travel adventure running company designed for small groups of women who love movement, nature, and meaningful connection. Our retreats focus on trail running, exploration of beautiful landscapes, restoration, and recovery.
These experiences are about more than fitness. They are about empowerment.
Many women are curious about trail running, backcountry travel, and solo or small-group adventures but lack access to education, mentorship, or confidence-building experiences. Through Wandering Sole, I aim to create safe, supportive spaces where women can learn, grow, and discover their own strength. My background in physical therapy, wilderness medicine, and emergency response allows me to provide participants with practical, real-world knowledge, including: backcountry safety and risk assessment, injury prevention and management, navigation and environmental awareness, hydration, fueling, and recovery, emergency response principles, and mental resilience and decision-making.
By integrating this education into our adventures, participants leave with more than memories. They leave with skills and confidence that carry into future journeys.
This is where wilderness education truly comes full circle for me. What I learned in the classroom and field will live on through the women I mentor and guide.
Bridging Professional Practice and Purpose
Wilderness Physical Therapy Educators helped me see that professional growth doesn’t have to follow a traditional path. It can be interdisciplinary. It can be adventurous. It can be deeply personal.
My journey, from course participant, to NREMT, to entrepreneur and mentor, reflects the impact that thoughtful, hands-on education can have on a career. Whether supporting wildland firefighters, leading trail running retreats, or working with patients, I carry the principles of wilderness medicine with me: adaptability, preparation, humility, and respect for the environment.
The March 2025 course was more than a certification. It was a turning point. It reminded me that when we invest in learning, we open doors, not only for ourselves, but for everyone we serve.
