Active SWV is excited to introduce our October Community Captain of the month, Nate Smith!
Nate grew up in the city of Northfork located in McDowell County. He attended Northfork High School and Bluefield State College, and ultimately earned a degree in Physical Education and minor in Parks and Recreation.
Nate first became active in Northfork through local little league, basketball, and football. Now, Nate is dedicated to doing community service and providing kids with activity opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have access to through his organization Grayhound Youth Sports that he founded nine years ago. Many kids don’t have access to tennis, so Nate made offering that program a priority. “Kids can learn to play tennis and play for the rest of their lives”, says Nate. Nate has also worked with WVU Extension, WV Community Development Hub, Try This WV, and Volunteer West Virginia to do projects in his community.
“If I stay healthy, and people see me stay healthy, I can set a good example. By walking I can set a good example for the people around me. I stay motived by inspiring others to keep active.” Nate says. “There are so many diseases to fight again that any little bit of staying healthy can keep you safe.”
Recently, Nate has started working with Active SWV as a Community Captain to put together a Northfork walking group open to surrounding communities. He became trained as a Walk With Ease leader to provide healthy lessons for a 6 week walking program.
The Northfork Walking group is becoming a highlight in the town! Nate says that joining the walking group is a great way to get in as much outdoor activity as possible before the colder weather comes. He notes that this is a great time to build up some strength through walking. “Even if you are around your own yard doing yard work like raking leaves and getting out by finding a buddy to walk with, it helps with metal health and brings some peace of mind”, says Nate.
You can join the Northfork walking group every Monday night at 7pm, meeting at the Children’s Home Society. Schedule is subject to change.
See Active SWV’s website calendar for details and locations for this and other programs.
