Here we are again. A couple weeks ago Ruth Croft won New Zealand's Tarawera Ultra outright. She became the first woman to ever win the full event, but she also crushed the women's course record. This event made international news in a way that ultra running almost never does.
On Instagram, Ruth Croft had this to say about the media hub-bub, "I can’t help but wonder if my performance of winning in my field and breaking the race’s course record would have generated so much attention, had any man ran faster than me on the day? Sadly, probably not. . . . Don’t get me wrong, I am stoked about that first successful step back into ultras, having executed my race plan the way I hoped and having learnt many valuable lessons for the ones to come. I just hope that female accomplishments can be recognised and spoken of as such, without needing to compare them with men’s ones."
Happy International Women's Day to all you adventurous women. Here are five videos of women with Grit that have inspired me over the last year.
1) Go Solo - You've Got This (Bikepacking Nepal by Jenny Tough)
"The journey is yours, the triumphs are yours, the mistakes are yours, the memories the moments the mountains are all yours."
This year I jumped on the Jenny Tough bandwagon and have watched all her videos and read a bunch of her writing. She goes solo on many of her trips, which I find incredibly brave and admirable. It seems that nothing will hold this woman back.
2) Where the Wild Things Keep Playing - Outdoor Research
I hawk these two videos by Outdoor Research to pretty much everyone willing to listen. This is the second video -- following up the first Where The Wild Things Play. It features more bodies, more colours, more ages, more images of womanhood and more badassery.
3) Becoming Ruby | Inclusion, Bikes and Hand-Drawn Heroes - Patagonia
"What matters is being connected to the dirt."
If you can't find a role model, make your own. This is a story of inclusion, diversity, community, art and this incredible woman Brooklyn. It's also beautifully put together.
4) Garmin Women of Adventure: Any Body Can Do It, with Mirna Valerio
"This body is fierce, beautiful and unapologetic. Why in the world would I want to change that."
Mirna Valerio is an ultra runner and a Mirnavator. This profile quickly gives the viewer Mirna's perspective and her positivity. She radiates.
5) Gravel Trails & Wild Swimming - Juliet Elliott
Juliet Elliott is a great one to follow for day to day motivation and cycling tips. Some days she's taking viewers with her on rides around her home in England, and other days she's offering training tips. Whatever she's talking about it always has a nice balance of her actual life in it, making her feel like a real person and not an influencer constantly trying to sell something. I like her. Here's one of her rides: