Medford man goes viral online, uses platform to advocate for outdoor inclusivity

Andy Neal, a Medford hiker, podcaster, and plus-size model is going viral on social media and is using his voice to help advocate for outdoor inclusivity and mental health.

Last week, Neal posted a video to Instagram Reels and had gone viral across the platform within two hours.

“I was dressed up real goofy and I marched around real goofy and I posted it before I went to the gym,” said Neal. “By the time I had gotten from here to Medford it already had like 10-thousand views.”

The video, which was filmed at Gold Nugget Wayside, is now in the millions and growing by the hour. Neal is now hoping he can continue to inspire and connect with his growing social media community.

“I’ve had so many people message me saying 'because of what you posted on your reel or this post you made, I was encouraged to go outdoors and I’ve fallen in love with it,'" said Neal.

Neal found his love for the outdoors about five years ago. He says it was around the same time he had decided to make a huge career change and go back to college at the age of 36. That’s where he enrolled in film and production.

“I was trying to figure out who I was, my identity was in my old career,” said Neal.

After 2020 had left Neal with a lot of extra time on his hands, he started hiking even more which is when he decided to start his podcast. He says since he’s started the podcast he’s been able to connect with other outdoor enthusiasts and has even featured some of them as guests.

“Hiking has done amazing things for me not only physically, but for my mental health,” said Neal. “I noticed there’s not a lot of clothing and gear for bigger people if they want to get on the trail.”

He found a lot of Columbia Sportswear gear that he liked and says that the company reached out to him asking him to join their team after he had posted numerous photos tagging them. He’s now a model for the company and Columbia is even looking to expand their brand, calling on more plus-size hikers to help them market.

Neal uses his multiple platforms to help advocate for outdoor inclusion by showing others that there are options for plus-size or beginner hikers to get outdoors and be active.

“If one person discovers the outdoors, the mental health benefits of it, and how it can just change them and benefit them - it’s worth it to me,” said Neal.