Members of Calgary's Offline Wellness Club at a postrun social event called 'Après Marathon,' which featured cold tubs, physiotherapists and a DJ.Supplied
Like many of her Gen Z peers, 26-year-old tech strategist Nina Hill felt that her life was consumed by screens.
Technology was a constant presence in her daily routine, whether she was scanning spreadsheets and presentations in her 9-to-5 corporate job or scrolling through social media and streaming TV shows in the evening hours. Keen to make a change, she started Offline Wellness Club with friends Kat Smith and Philippe Burnes in summer 2024 and says that her life is richer in human connection because of it.
Offline Wellness Club is a Calgary-based group that hosts free weekly runs, trivia nights, pickleball, rock climbing and other activities, with the goal of promoting wellness and community without technology. The club became so popular over the summer that the founders now plan to open a bricks-and-mortar space with a sauna and cold plunge studio.
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Here, we talk to Ms. Hill about her vision to help others in her generation gain more balance in their lives.
Nina Hill of Offline Wellness Club. 'If you create the right opportunity, the people will follow.'Supplied
How did you and your co-founders come up with the idea for Offline Wellness Club?
We found ourselves getting burned out, and it was a common theme among many people we talked to. We wanted to bring people back to real life, [meaning] disconnecting from their devices, even if it’s just for a few hours, and getting back to meeting people and connecting in person. We call it the ‘disconnect to reconnect’ community.
We started a weekly run club on Wednesday evenings, and it quickly gained traction. We went from a 20-person run club of just our friends to more than 300 people every Wednesday. The average age you’d see is 25 to 40. From there, we evolved into activities beyond running. We’ve seen a lot of people forming genuine connections offline, which is great.
The craziest thing is we do it all for free, but we do it for free because it is fulfilling.
You offer a variety of activities, like running, trivia and pickleball. How did you decide on this mix?
We started with running because it’s very accessible, it’s free, and [it has] a low barrier to entry, which is important for our group in this economy. The community mostly drives the activities we do, and they tell us, ‘This would be such a cool event to do next,’ or ‘You should try this.’ And we do. We’re open to anything.
What have been some of the biggest challenges in building Offline Wellness Club?
One of the biggest challenges was that it grew so fast, which was unexpected.
We had to deal with venues not being able to host more than 80 or 100 people at a time. It was finding the right businesses around Calgary and working with the city to facilitate 300 runners navigating the downtown area.
Has anything surprised you about people’s reaction to the club?
Their willingness to put their phones down and try new things. During the pandemic, I think a lot of people from our generation [became] more closed off, spending more time on screens and less time out in the real world. [But] I think if you create the right opportunity, the people will follow. And that’s exactly what happened.
Club members gathering at a park for a run.Supplied
How has running the club affected your own life?
I’ve never felt more energized, and I don’t know if it has to do with putting down my phone or finding a community of people that I can relate to. Either way, I feel like the healthiest version of myself. I feel like I have improved my social skills. It’s a night and day difference.
It sounds like you have 300 new friends.
Definitely. It’s been incredible.
What have you learned about yourself from creating and running Offline Wellness Club?
I have learned that I am more willing to try different activities than I thought. If you asked me a few years ago if I’d ever done pickleball or rock climbing, I would’ve said no.
I never expected to be leading and running a community that promotes health and wellness, that is doing good. I never would’ve thought that would be a part of my life, but now that it is, it’s one of my greatest accomplishments to date.
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