Missed previous episodes? You can catch up here: Episode One: Gareth & Suzy
We’re really happy to launch the second episode of our series, Barriers to the Outdoors.
As you well know, we wax lyrical about the life changing mental and physical benefits we’ve both experienced from developing connections with the natural world around us. We truly believe that the outdoors and connecting with nature is something that should be for everyone, but as it stands it isn’t. The thing is, barriers to the outdoors exist in so many ways, and in many circumstances, in ways you might not even have imagined. As we look to diversify this space and strive to make it more inclusive, every single question asked around the topic of privilege and accessibility in the outdoors, the question of barriers comes up in every single conversation. More questions spur out of the question already asked and we truly begin to gain a sense of just how complex an issue getting into the outdoors is for so many people.
In this series, we’re going to be talking to a whole host of people with really different experiences of what barriers have been presented to them and their communities and their thoughts on the issues surrounding this.
In Episode Two, we chatted to Sydney Williams, founder of the organisation Hiking My Feelings. We became online buddies with Sydney some time ago after feeling a synergy between the incredible work she does through her organisation and our messages and focuses through This Expansive Adventure. Hiking My Feelings is ‘on a mission to improve community health by creating opportunities for people to experience the healing power of nature’. In this episode, we talked all about trauma, unpacking other people’s baggage, the barriers faced within her community. We left feeling fired up (and with even more questions about how we can create the change we need to see to make the outdoors more accessible).
Throughout November, Hiking My Feelings has an incredible initiative and is on a mission to hike one million miles for diabetes awareness. Their “Take a Hike, Diabetes” campaign kicks off with a 30-day program to help folks navigate life with diabetes and find ways to thrive with the disease by addressing three key factors that impact blood sugar levels in the body; nutrition, movement, and stress. If you’re already tracking your activities (walks, runs, hikes, steps, etc), you can sync your fitness tracker with the Kilter app to help them reach their goal, while raising money and awareness around diabetes. For more info, you can visit their site here. You can also follow along with all things Hiking My Feelings on Instagram.
Let’s get listening!
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THIS EXPANSIVE ADVENTURE
From adventures and ultimate destination guides to mindset hacks and photography, we’re passionate about helping you to live a life full of adventure in whatever way feels good to you, without the fuss.