Austin Neary grew up in the outdoors, hunting and fishing with his father in Maryland around the Chesapeake Bay. He was also a talented baseball player who was fortunate enough to pursue playing collegiate baseball at Western Carolina University for two years. After a career-ending shoulder injury in his sophomore season, he had a huge identity crisis which lead to deep suicidal depression. One of his college roommates shared the Gospel with Austin and said “maybe God is calling you to be a fisher of men”, (Matthew 4:19). 

Shortly after, Austin surrendered His life to Jesus. While in college he started a guided fishing business in the mountains of Western North Carolina called Dream Catcher Guides. Dream Catcher’s morphed into a successful tackle shop and boat service center. Austin met his wife Molly through FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) in the fall of their senior year. After graduating, Austin, with Molly’s support, poured their soul into ministering to their community in Western NC using fishing and the outdoors. After a decade of serving their community, the addition of two beautiful children (Isaac and Macie) and a few successful real estate AirBnB ventures, they felt the call to sell everything and find land of their own to start an intentional outdoor ministry. 

After a lot of prayer and God’s faithful provision with over 100 acres in Western Kentucky, Austin, Molly, and their children created 180outdoors. 180outdoors is a ministry that serves societal outcasts, fatherless/parentless children, veterans, ministry leaders, and people in need of retreat and spiritual rehabilitation and encouragement through the utilization of the outdoors, fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, off-roading, and the gospel. The Nearys as a family still travel to different regions as outdoor missionaries, taking people into the outdoors and hosting people on their farm in Western KY. They focus on evangelism and discipleship while partnering with God through His creation. You can also follow their journeys on their YouTube channel “America’s Outdoor Family” where they seek to document wholesome moments and memories with people from all walks of life and each other in the outdoors.