Whether we work in conservation, environmental justice, do adventure sports, or all of the above, we each have a strong personal connection to nature, and what it means to us.
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Looking through outdoor magazines, blogs, and social media I rarely see anyone who looks like me. I’m not talking about race...what I don’t see are other skydivers.
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The others being ones where I have been afraid because I know I’ve done nothing to warrant the interaction that is taking place, but there is nothing I can do about it. Instances like the one I started this article with. They are not unique. I've interacted with far fewer bears, knowingly, than I have police officers. And I've gone looking for bears, of many sorts, often enough in my adventures.
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I have always lived in predominately all-white communities, and with that, feminine beauty typically meant white or light skinned, tall, skinny, long hair, delicate features, and ladylike—the epitome of Eurocentric standards. Sorry, not sorry, I don't fit those standards...
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My greatest fear in life might sound silly. I’m terrified of being eaten.
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“You’re going to be alright,” I glanced down and whispered to a broken man struggling through an ice climbing nightmare. My eyes darted quickly between the Korean rescue worker helping to stabilize the opposite side of the stretcher, over my shoulder at the fifty feet of steep ice awaiting our descent, and back to the contorted face of the injured climber.
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I can not even tell you how many times I have heard the statement, “stereotypes are based on some sort of truth.” As much as I’d hate to say it, I somewhat agree with this statement
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However, I was still so angry that I really wanted to hit something (or everything), but I didn’t know how to punch at all. So with stitches still in my leg and still weak from chemotherapy, I went downtown and limped into the Cleveland Boxing Club.
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There are a number of lookout towers throughout the Pacific Northwest: some are fully functioning lookout towers only to be rented during off-seasons, while others are available year-round. Two of the towers I booked were 40 ft towers with incredible views of the mountain ranges above Oregon's popular Douglas Firs.
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Trekking is what I do to get to the mountain. Add a little bit of technicality and people drop right off, each increase of technicality allows you to have a little more solitude, more wilderness, you can go further and further.
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Filming kayaking isn't easy. You'll have to be able to kayak what you want to shoot, or be a very willing hiker, climber, and skilled outdoor person if you aren't comfortable kayaking with an expensive camera.
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It isn't easy buying gear when you are a student who has sold your soul to Sallie Mae or when you’re just starting at your first job. The hustle is real at times...
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“We are not asking for it and women shouldn’t be expected to smile and silently put up with this harassment so we can be part of the skydiving community.”
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In the first few hundred feet up the Bukhan Mountain (Bukhansan) trail near Seoul, South Korea, I realized that I had found my second home. The mountains were full of eager weekend warriors all seeking altitude and grand vistas.
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Black people don't camp, hike, cliff jump, they don't skydive, kayak, nor do they climb!
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Every time I make a list of bouldering climbs I want to send, I get butterflies in my stomach. It's the best kind of nervous anticipation. I think about the process: dissecting the climb in isolation and working it piece by piece
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Team Blackstar gave me the freedom to stop pretending I don't notice when I'm the only person of color at my drop-zone. Yes we see color. And we realize the lack of diversity isn't a neutral thing.
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I was asked to join a group of individuals, most of whom I've never met, to spend three days over Christmas break in Red Rocks, near Las Vegas, Nevada. It just so happened that my schedule was open and had planned on staying in Portland this year, so I decided to take the leap. It's not every day I get asked to do some rock climbing in a different state with a group of climbing enthusiasts. I figured it was either going to be an amazing adventure or it would be a Christmas to remember and not in a good way—so I took a gamble.
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Solo backpacking is life lived on your own terms. You are free to come and go at your will and dial the difficity to the level you want. You are experiencing life boiled down to its purest form, with nothing but your shoes, your wits, and your thoughts to guide you through your journey.
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I started boxing because I wanted to confront fear of violence, fear of being overpowered, fear of getting hurt. I bike because I was told from a very young age that the world is a dangerous place.
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