This year Jasmin Paris set a new record on the 431-kilometre Montane Spine Race. She made international headlines because not only did she beat the existing record by 12-hours, she also beat all the men — while breastfeeding. I was listening to the radio while driving when I heard an interview with her for the first time, I stayed in the car parked outside of the swimming pool to listen to the whole story.
I have been collecting stories of female adventure racers and athletes in a note on my computer called “OUTDOOR WOMEN” for over a year. This note includes links to videos, quotes and news articles that have inspired me and have tell a good story, not just for women but for adventure.
I started collecting these stories shortly after I started mountain biking. I wanted to be inspired by mountain bikers on youtube — and I was — but found that a lot of the profiles and videos were of men. Incredible men, but where were the women? Not a particularly insightful question when it comes to women in sport — where are they? They’re there. You just have to look for them.
These are five profiles of adventurous women that you’ve probably never heard of. They’re not all professional athletes, but they all have a good amount of everyday grit.
1) Raha Moharrak - Meet the First Saudi Woman to Climb the Seven Summits
“I climbed because I believed I could.” - Raha
This is a woman that knows what she wants and is willing to do what it takes to achieve her goals. Raha Moharrak is the first Saudi woman to climb the seven summits.
2) Garmin Women of Adventure: Jenny Kalmbach on Finding Balance
“It is possible to keep doing what you love to do and live the life you want to live and have a child.” - Jenny
Jenny Kalmbach is a professional standup paddleboarder. This video touches on a subject that I think of a lot of women struggle with, having babies. Will having babies stop you from being able to live the outdoor life you want?
3) Women in Adventure: Kate Worthington
“I think that as time in my life as decreased, in terms of spare time, I wanted to access the mountains in less time, so I’ve had to go running.” - Kate
If you love something, you’ll find a way to keep it in your life. Kate Worthington discusses her love for the mountains and how that transformed into running.
4) REI Presents: Within Reach
“Women don’t have to be tomboys to want to run around and go outside and get beat up and dirty.” - Shelma
This video is a bit more on the nose to how I was feeling when I first started looking for women in the outdoor adventure world. This is the story of a women’s climbing network called Flash Foxy, but also of the bigger world of women in outdoor athletic communities.
5) Watch Codi Surf
“I was really nervous this morning, I almost didn’t come.” - Codi
This is a promo for an organization called Power to Be that helps people spend time in nature. Codi’s quotes in this video about being nervous and worried about her physical limitations are not just heartfelt but also relatable.
These are just five of the adventure women videos that I felt like sharing today. I have a playlist here that I collect them all in if you’re looking for more stories and more inspiration. Let me know if you have any videos you think should be added.
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