Meet Nelson Holland, Colorado's unlikely champion for getting everyone outside

Nelson Holland remembers the first mountain he summited.

Wearing jeans and a sweater vest, the former football player was getting some outside time during his lunch break. He was coming off a light trail when some hikers approached him, letting him know there was an even better view on a path up the way.

“It’s a little harder,” the hiker told Holland, “but it’s so much more beautiful.”

Intrigued by the promise of a spectacular view, Holland embarked on a 4-mile hike up Green Mountain — unbeknownst to him. Armed with a quarter-full bottle of water, he expected to complete the trail in a little less than an hour. By the time he reached the halfway point, he was reassured by other hikers, who were telling him, “It’s hard, but you can make it.”

“None of those people should have told me I can make it,” Holland joked. “I didn’t know that you needed to know trail conditions. I didn’t know you needed a map. I didn’t know anything.”

About 1,500 feet in elevation gain later, he was on the top.

“I’ve never done anything like that in my life. But I finished it, and it was crazy beautiful,” Holland said. “I was just like, if I could do this under these conditions, what if I brought water and a backpack.”

Holland has learned a lot since his first summit.

In 2021, he started documenting his adventures outside on TikTok. As a plus-size Black man and nature enthusiast, he quickly garnered a following, with many people excited to see someone who looked more like them (and less like a Patagonia ad).

Now, his account @fatblackandgettinit has nearly 130,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram, and he’s become a leader in the movement to improve inclusivity outdoors, even meeting with Colorado Gov. Jared Polis to discuss solutions.

“I think the main driver is my genuine joy for nature. I also think people like me being a resource that they can use to find other places,” he said.

Being from New York, the idea of representation was never really on Holland’s radar, he said. It wasn’t until he started growing his platform that he realized he was motivating others to feel more comfortable being active outside.

“When I kind of started getting those type of comments on social media, I definitely realized, yeah, I don’t see anybody else on the trails that looks like me. It just never stopped me,” he said. “Once I realized that I was literally inspiring people and helping people to get out and conquer their fears and make it a little easier for them, more approachable, it became sort of my mission.”

On each post he makes, Holland receives a slew of responses, especially from those who love watching his genuine excitement for exploring nature. He recalls a message he received from a man in his 50s who used to be an avid outdoorsman but lost use of his legs.

“He was just saying he loved everything that I did. He’s sort of living vicariously through me and loves to see my joy — it always kind of chokes me up a little bit,” Holland said.

Holland also finds himself inspired at times by other creators, who he often collaborates with to complete group hikes and new activities.

“I’ve done things recently that I didn’t even know plus-size people could do — rock climbing, for instance,” he said. “I didn’t know I could do that. And I actually got inspired by another plus-sized creator’s good rock climbs.”

Holland’s advice to those who might be unsure of where to start: “You can just walk a mile around the lake. It doesn’t have to be hard. It’s more about spending the time in nature.”

Holland admits he faces an occasional off-putting hiker, who might ignore him while acknowledging others on the trail — an experience shared by many of his followers.

“I get a ton of comments from people who experienced the same thing I do on trails, because not everybody’s super friendly. It’s kind of a lot of micro aggressions. And I think just showing people that other people are out there like them doing this or showing them how to deal with it has been super beneficial,” he said.

From the Manitou Incline to Mount Spalding, Holland will continue to share his adventures around the Centennial State. He even recalls the post that started it all, a picture after summiting Mount Spalding.

“It’s the closest thing for mountaineering that I’ve ever done, and most people don’t finish this hike. But I made a post where I was just like, ‘If you’ve never seen anybody that’s over 300 pounds and Black do this before, you should like this post,” he said. “But even if you don’t, I’m still going to be out here fat, black and gettin’ it.”