Lo Phong La Kiatoukaysy also known by his trail name “Lil’ Buddha” has hiked over 48,000 miles since age 19. He attributes his motivation and drive to his Hmong lineage, a family of survivors who’ve historically persevered and celebrated their freedom since their removal from SouthEast Asia by the US military in 1976. Lo Phong’s story chronicles the journey of a refugee on a quest for freedom and a sense of home. Lo Phong finds redemption from generations of trauma through his relationship with the natural world, shared connection with others and his advocacy work for inclusion and diversity in the outdoors.
Lo Phong is currently working with Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) to raise awareness and funds for STOP AAPI Hate. CAA’s mission includes fighting for systemic change by advocating for racial justice and to serve as the lead aggregator in critical data gathering to track and respond to the surge in violence and xenophobia.
Visit https://caasf.org/ for more information on how you can get involved.
Director - Lindsey Hagen
DP - Chris Naum
Executive Producers - Dan Riordan, Rob Faris, Chris Crowley
Head of Production - Aaron Schurman
Post Producer - CJ Taglione
Head of Post - Jordan Ingram
Sound Design - Jared Blizzard
Color - Jack Ieronimo
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