Heather Gordon is a plant-powered trail runner, entrepreneur & ever-curious soul from Ireland. After completing races in some of the most beautiful parts of the world including the Atacama Desert, Mozambique & Costa Rica, Heather established Trails & Roots to combine her passions of adventure, being immersed in new cultures and connecting with people from diverse backgrounds. She lives a nomadic life and can often be found living in little-known corners of the world! During the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, Heather and Zandy fused their love of cooking and running and created a plant-based cookbook - Cooking on the Run! Check it out here! 
Zandy Mangold is a New York City based runner and coach who loves the challenge of running fast on any surface at any distance. His running resumé includes victories at the Atacama Crossing stage-race and the Keys 100 mile race, finishes at Badwater, Spartathlon and Western States and 10 Boston Marathons. As a coach, his goal is to help each athlete reach their potential, and then go a little further, while minimizing injuries. He loves cats and photography, and played drums for the punk rock band Mañana Couch.
Join Zandy on the trails at our Madeira Trail Camp!

​Lily Toomey is a plant-based chef who spent years working as the Sous Chef at Cornucopia, Dublin’s oldest vegan and vegetarian restaurant, where she was responsible for developing new, innovative, delicious plant-based recipes. She has catered a range of different food events and has taught plant-based cooking both in Ireland and abroad.
​For Lily, food is a powerful way to connect with people and the planet. Her passion for plant-based food, food justice and environmentalism has led her to pursue a PhD in environmental history. She currently balances academia alongside time in Wild Sage Bakery's kitchen, creating mouth-watering, plant-based treats & baked goods!
Experience Lily's cooking at our Madeira and Slovenia Trail Camps! 


​Kara Folkerts  is a plant-powered trail & ultra-running guide, responsible travel specialist, and international yoga teacher. While originally from Canada, she lives a very nomadic life finding her sense of home in various places across the globe. Over the years, Kara has led hundreds of clients on multi-day trail running camps, eco-tourism adventures, and yoga retreats. She strives for a life full of curiosity, mindful travel, outdoor movement, sustainability, and holistic health - and ultimately desires to share this joy with others! 

​Emily Schmitz splits her time between Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Chamonix, France, where she spends as much time as possible in the mountains. She is a runner and coach, and works with athletes of all experience levels, backgrounds, and abilities. She has competed in trail and ultra races around the world, racing everything from short vertical kilometers and sky races to 100km ultra races.  
Emily has an impressive resumé of results, including representing Team USA and achieving 7th place at the 2023 World Mountain Long Trail Championships,
5th place at 2019 UTMB OCC, 2nd place at 2022 Val d'Aran by UTMB 55km &  5th at 2023 UTMB CCC.
 Alastair Derry is a plant-based chef who has been inspired by international cuisine to change the way the people view the world. Based in the global trail running capital, Chamonix, Alastair loves to cycle, run, swim and ski tour as much as possible.
​He has traveled the world over working in kitchens everywhere from Norway to Serbia. His passion for the trails is ever growing and living around the mountains keeps him happy and adventurous.