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Meet the Team: Cristian

Meet the Team: Cristian

Next up on our Meet the Team series is Cristian, another Program Coordinator for Out Doors. We know many of you already know Cristian but we’re confident you’ll still learn a thing or two about him after he sat down with us to have a chat about a whole range of topics…

When did you first become involved with Out Doors Inc and how did it come about?

I started with ODI at the start of 2022. I was told about the opportunity through Ben, one of our Program Coordinators, and he gave me a good idea of what the job was about. I was ready for a change in my career, so the timing was perfect.

The connection to my outdoors background was great and I loved the idea of working with a different group of people and developing a new set of skills.

What is your role now with Out Doors?

I’m a Program Coordinator and leading the hub development in Brimbank.

What is your favourite thing to do at Out Doors?

I’m enjoying the chance to learn new things, part of that is being more hands-on with the administration side of things, networking with different groups and meeting new people. The social interaction has been great, and I’ve been really enjoying that side of things, too.

I’m proud of what we do and love being able to look back at the end of the week at what we’ve done and the positive impact we’ve helped make to people’s lives. I love doing something that helps support other people. When you see the benefit that comes out of our programs it’s a pretty good feeling.

Where is your favourite place to visit with Out Doors?

Mornington Peninsula – I love it down there. I’ve visited the peninsula with a few different groups and always had fun. It has so much going for it, from urbanised areas to townships, to rugged coastlines and remote locations. I think it has it all! It’s such a great place to run a program – you get the perfect mix of everything.

Have you always enjoyed being in nature, where did your love of nature and the great Out Doors come from?

Yeah, I’ve always loved being active outdoors. The love of it came from family. As part of an immigrant family, we didn’t have a lot of money, so we spent a lot of time in the outdoors… going out for picnics, BBQs, or even camping. We’d go camping every Christmas break.

So, I think my love of the outdoors is down to all of the fantastic experiences I’ve had with family.

What is your favourite activity or thing to do in the outdoors?

Mountain biking. It’s an activity that’s followed me for 25 years. There are a couple of old-school mountain bike trails that I love – Smith’s Gully near Sugarloaf and another up in Warburton are a couple of my favourites.

The other outdoors activity that I love doing is paddling – whether it’s sea kayaking or white water. I love both.

If you could live anywhere in the world where would you live?

On a sailboat. I’ve always wanted to live on a boat. I sailed a big boat around the Whitsundays, which was fantastic. If you want me to choose a place to base myself then the Whitsundays would be hard to beat.

Tell us something that other people may not know about you?

I’m a bit of a rev-head. I love cars and bikes! I’ve built a bit of a collection over the years including two motorbikes and a V8.

What do you do when you’re having your own mental health challenges?

Getting away from the day-to-day is really important for me. My escape is riding bikes. It brings me back to zero and helps me reset. The beauty of riding bikes is it helps me process things and deal with challenges. I notice that I tend to struggle a bit more when I don’t have enough time to ride my bike.

What is your favourite movie?

My top 3 are:

  1. The Motorcycle Diaries – A really cool adventure movie
  2. The World’s Fastest Indian – Another great motorcycle movie
  3. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

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