Running Panda Adventures - With Valerie Gagne - Adventure Diaries

Please click here to 'Follow' the show - it really helps get the show to a wider audience

In this gentle close to our episode, I sit down with Valerie Gagné, better known as The Running Panda, to reflect on what it means to find adventure close to home and give back to the communities that shape us.

LISTEN TO FULL EPISODE HERE

For Valerie, the pay-it-forward moment is clear: Impossible2Possible. It’s an organisation that helped open her eyes to what she was capable of and one she continues to champion. Through youth expeditions and immersive classroom connections, it sparks curiosity and courage far beyond the trails. Not everyone needs to go on an expedition, she says. But everyone can be inspired.

Her call to adventure? It doesn’t require a passport or a faraway summit. Just step outside. The local trail. The hill you pass each day. A new path through your own backyard. These are the places, she reminds us, where confidence is built and joy is found. Not just once, but again and again, in the rhythm of weekends and moments made.

From micro-missions to bigger dreams like her own journey along the eye of Quebec, Valerie’s message is clear: you don’t need to go far to go deep.

Connect with Valerie Gagné:

Instagram - Running Panda

Follow her and Panda (the dog, not the metaphor) as they explore, inspire, and remind us all to keep moving.

Call to Adventure: Take a backyard adventure. One trail, one day, one small plan. Let it be enough. And then do it again next weekend.

Final Thought: Adventure isn’t a destination. It’s a practice. And sometimes, the most important journey is the one that begins just beyond your doorstep.

Send us a text

Support the show

Thanks For Listening.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment and subscribe for more exciting content.

Have a topic suggestion? Email us at [email protected].

AdventureDiaries.com

#AdventureDiaries #AdventureStories #NationalGeographic #Discovery #NaturalWorld