At the start of 2021, Zak Pino was studying, working full time, dealing with the aftermath of covid and struggling to find balance in his life.

He knew his friends were facing the same uncertainty, and started thinking of easy ways to encourage everyone to get together and simply debrief.

So he started a weekly walk around Lake Burley Griffin. He says most of his friends only lasted two weeks or so of sacrificing their Saturday nights in favour of a Sunday morning walk, but strangers had started asking if they could join his weekly walk around Lake Burley Griffin.

“I started accumulating these mobile numbers and started sending a text message every Friday, which led to people coming or not coming on Sunday mornings,” he says.

Four years later, Zak says Walk-W-Me usually sees about 45 people coming to the walks around the lake, but he’s had more than 100 on multiple occasions.

Zak says Walk-W-Me is not just a walking version of a running group, which he describes as “designed for fit extroverts”. 

Instead, Walk-W-Me focuses on inclusivity and mental health.

“It’s like a second family,” he says.

“There’s no formalities, you know, you either rock up in your activewear, tracksuits, or some people do generally just roll out of bed, put their shoes on and come, and so you’re getting people who are quite raw,” Zac says.

“And because of that, there’s no emphasis on the interpersonal skills or having to have a conversation, because you don’t know who you’re going to talk to, there’s less pressure, there’s no structure.”

The demographic of participants is hugely varied, he says, and this has allowed everyone to gain valuable new perspectives on life, with some networking new jobs, finding professional mentors and, of course, making friends.

He says he experienced people making negative comments about the idea of simply walking and talking, but he encourages people to see it primarily as an opportunity to build new relationships.

“The walking is to distract you,” he says. 

“You’re not thinking about what you’re talking about because you’re feeling good while you’re walking. 

“You’re seeing seagulls, you see people rowing boats, you talk about the weather, what you did last night, what the restaurant you ate at was like, introduce yourself to a new person, it’s just endless conversation.”

Zak says he is most grateful for the direct or indirect support he has been able to provide for people.

“The best thing is seeing people, kind of, develop,” he says.

“It’s become a very safe space for a lot of people.”

Zak says he has also had people from Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast asking to start Walk-W-Me events.

Walk-W-Me has expanded into new fields since its initial inception, Zac says, having previously hosted breakfasts and recently organising a Walk-W-Me Gala.

“I wanted to get everyone out of their activewear,” he says. 

“And I wanted to see everyone dancing.”

Walk-W-Me starts at 9am Sundays, meeting at the flags display, Lake Burley Griffin. Visit the Walk-W-Me facebook and instagram pages for more details and for future events.