If I told you that athletics was the foundation of my preparation for skiing, I’d likely get an equally sideways glance. You see, we live in a time that loves to get stuck in the age-old conundrum of labels and pigeon holes.
“You’re the paddler”
“You’re the mountain biker”
“You’re the skier”
“You’re the climber” etc.
Ladies (and gentlemen) listen up. I’m here to tell you that you are here to be all of these (possibly more) if we begin to drop the labels and embrace the possibility of diversifying the scope of the activities we do. The only caveat is that this contemplation of possibility requires “embracing the suck of learning new things” as well as “doing hard things”.
You’re right, all new things are hard at first. But so were most of the things we have begun to master over time. With the commitment to learning new skills, movements, and environments mastery comes as a convenient by-product of time spent learning the patterns that are the foundations of these.
But people are a funny species and they will always label you with the thing they associate most closely with you. To many, I’m simply known at the ‘paddler’ or the ‘girl who paddles’. Once upon a time I was the ‘triathlete’ and before that I was the ‘skier’.
When I first started paddling in the UK back in 2010 I was doing it all wrong (according to the early self-considered experts at the time).
Denne historien er fra August 2021-utgaven av Adventure Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra August 2021-utgaven av Adventure Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Papua New Guinea
Four reasons to add Papua New Guinea to your bucket list
The benefits of being a Multi-Trick Pony
"A broad skill base and how you can draw from one platform to the next – women often pigeon hole themselves"
The RELUCTANT adventurer
An eighteen-year-old princess, who paints his (yes, his) nails and dyes his hair bleach blonde, embarking on an adventure trip with his family, sounds like a plot for a bad 80s movie.
The Meaning of Tramping
What does tramping mean to you?
Keala Kennelly owns Red Bull Magnitude
The North Shore season of 1957 is recognized in the surfing world as the start of an era. When Greg Noll, a young Mickey Munoz and company went out and rode Waimea for the first time, it was a glimpse of what could be in the world of big-wave surfing.
North West Circuit Stewart Island
I found myself in limbo during the winter of 2020, in between jobs in a strained covid economy. And so, I did what any outdoors person would do with a large amount of free time on their hands. It was time to pack up my belongings and hit the road. It was time to leave behind home comforts and go adventure-seeking.
Emilie's adventure to Angelus Hut
“I want to be the leader!” Miss Six announced, pushing past me in her determination to be in front. Momentarily off-balance with my heavy pack, I narrowly avoided twisting an ankle on the sharp rocks and silently swore while cracking a bright smile.
Nancy Jiang Breaking stereotypes
I recently watched a youtube movie entitled, “Her Way” (check it out on the Adventure Website) which introduced a woman who had an overwhelming passion for running. The preface at the bottom of the clip, read as follows:
Adversity at Altitude
The wind and snow is whipping at my face. I’ve readjusted the stiff frozen fleece buff around my neck and mouth, desperately trying to protect myself from the -20 degree bitter wind. Adrenaline is still pumping through my body but I know I’ll start to get cold soon.
Last Great Mountaineering Challenge
Ground-breaking mountaineer Nirmal ‘Nims’ Purja MBE has attained an incredible new world record by submitting K2 as part of a collaborative team in the depths of winter. Until now, it was a record that was believed to be impossible to accomplish and was famously known as the ‘last great mountaineering challenge’.
