Go RVing Spotlight: Mikhail Martin

As an active outdoorsman with a passion for adventure rock climbing, Mikhail Martin’s interest immediately narrowed in on the thrill of crags and trails. He couldn’t get enough. The RV lifestyle wasn’t something he gave much thought to until an opportunity arose. It was then that he had a revelation that combining these two interests would provide a new level of freedom to explore – it was the perfect blend.

Mikhail co-founded Brothers of Climbing, an organization dedicated to bringing diversity to the sport of rock climbing, in New York back in 2013. He openly shared that he was a “pretty bad climber” in those days until he met Andrew “Drew” Belletty, a more experienced climber. The two quickly became friends and started climbing together more frequently which also allowed them to meet David Glace. Their climbing circle began to grow, and a nickname formed that eventually stuck – Brothers of Climbing.

Brothers of Climbing is about expanding one’s horizon and having an open mind. Together they create opportunities for underrepresented communities to get out and discover the outdoors by rock climbing. “RVing is an extension of getting out and exploring – that’s what we want for our community,” he shared.

Though Mikhail didn’t think he’d be behind the wheel of an RV until well into his retirement years, opportunity came knocking on his door. In 2018, Mikhail joined forces with Go RVing, and at a video shoot with Outside Magazine, Mikhail was presented with the task to drive an RV. He initially thought it would be challenging, but quickly found himself maneuvering the RV with ease in no time. The RV lifestyle was an entirely new concept for Mikhail, but he soon realized how compatible it was to climbing. He learned that the freedom to explore goes beyond the crag, it also lies with the journey ahead on the road. This was something he could easily get into.

Though RVing wasn’t something Mikhail grew up with, he’s learned to appreciate and respect it. He also relates to how others in the African American community, as well as others living in the city, have a misconception about the RV lifestyle. “It’s simply not something we think about because most of us don’t have any prior experience with one. We don’t have many relatives or friends with one,” he explains. “Many don’t even realize renting an RV is an option.”

His experience perfectly highlights the importance of how Go RVing conveys the RV lifestyle, especially since he acknowledges that the African American community is underrepresented in the media’s examples of RVing.

Looking ahead, Mikhail stresses the value the RV industry has with connecting to a variety of people with different lifestyles and would like to see marketing expand to a younger and more diverse audience. “It would be nice to see more people of color in the marketing, but even more importantly, I would love to see the industry create a product that appeals to and is built for us,” he says.

Mikhail’s perspective is invaluable because he’s another person who didn’t realize he was an RVer at heart until he got inside of one. It’s never too late.

Learn more about Mikhail's story in this clip from Go RVing's AWAY series: