To celebrate International Women’s Day, we’re looking at some of the most inspiring women in the outdoors. They are forerunners in their respective fields a must-follow for any would-be enthusiast who’d like to keep up to date with their incredible achievements.
Amira the Wanderlust
Amira Patel, also known as Amira the Wanderlust, is an outdoor enthusiast and adventurer who during lockdown founded The Wanderlust Women. A group dedicated to diversifying the outdoor community and creating a safe space for Muslim women to enjoy the outdoors together. One of the chief goals of Amira’s work is to help break down the barriers to wearing the niqab and hijab when enjoying the outdoors. Amira says wearing her niqab on hikes is a great source of pride for her.
The outdoors has been a personal journey for me. I've seen the difference that it makes for my faith spiritually, mentally and physically as well. What more can the outdoors give than it being a peaceful space.
Recently, Amira has teamed up with Trekmates to develop a range of hijabs and niqabs made especially for hiking. Soon to be available through Blacks, these outdoor hijabs and niqabs have been designed using technical materials to make them more durable, waterproof and even windproof. Amira’s story is part of a growing movement of inspirational women hikers working towards a more inclusive outdoors for everyone! They have lots of active members who attend their packed calendar of adventures, workshops and retreats. Feeling inspired? Check out the Wanderlust Women’s website to find out what’s in store for 2023 and join the group.
Amira and The Wanderlust Women have a strong following online Follow the Wunderlust Womens Instagram here
Rose Marie Outdoors
Rose Marie Gare-Simmons is a lifelong lover of the outdoors, mountain leader and member of the BMC (British Mountaineering Council). Salomon Ambassador and mother of two, she teaches other outdoor enthusiasts how to take on the hill the right way through map reading, using a compass correctly and safely following trails. Based in the Lake District, Rose has been passing on her valuable knowledge through her mountain leader role for the past three years.
If that isn’t enough to inspire you, on top of all her work outdoors, Rose is also a mental health practitioner and a massive advocate of how much of a positive influence nature can have on a person’s mental well-being. In Spring last year, we took to the Hill with Rose and our brand ambassador/ TV presenter Helen Skelton, where they spoke about essential navigation skills and the biggest adventure of all, motherhood.
Going to places like this, to wild places, is natural for us. It improves our well-being
Sarah Perry- Wainwright’s Coast to Coast Fastest Known Time holder
When it comes to taking on a challenge, few are tougher than an ultramarathon. An ultra is a test of both physical and mental endurance. Described as anything over the regulation marathon length of 26.2 miles, common ultra-distances range from 30 miles to 100 and even beyond. In the case of Sarah Perry, a seasoned fell runner and Inov-8 athlete, she completed a whopping 182-mile ultra in the fastest known time by any woman previously, an inspirational two days, seven hours and 26 minutes.
Sarah’s knowledge of preparation for undertaking a mammoth challenge like this is vast. Not only does an athlete like Sarah have to ensure they’re physically ready at the start line, but they must also take into account their choice of kit and its weight, what kind of rations they’ll be taking, their support team and many more factors. Sarah plans her ultra runs meticulously, ensuring she gets the best possible time she can.
By the time you're on the start line for your first ultra, you need to have a plan for your nutrition and hydration, have everything in handy reachable pockets and know where your kit is stashed for every eventuality
You might be mistaken for thinking that running an ultra is all physical strain and mental endurance, but as Sarah states “What's more important to me now is to pick a route that's beautiful - part of the fun is enjoying being outside in the countryside”. But whether you’re thinking of beginning training to take on an ultra-marathon yourself, or you just want to see the countryside at a faster pace, below is a link to Sarah’s guide for all you need to know about taking on an ultra-challenge for yourself.
Kate Henry- Completer of all 214 Wainwrights
Fell bagging is the act of getting to the trig point of a collection of peaks. The Wainwrights are a set of 214 peaks dotted across the picturesque landscape of the Lake District. Labelled by Alfred Wainwrights in the 50s and 60s as the “true fells” of the Lake District.
Completing or “bagging” all 214 of Wainwrights is no small accomplishment and over the past few years that’s exactly what Lancashire-born Kate Henry has achieved! Kate began her love with hiking during a trip to Yosemite National Park in California back in 2018 and since then becoming a true expert in fell bagging, she’s been summiting every single hill she can take on in the Lakes, and beyond.
Hiking for me is a great escape. I love pushing myself physically and I always need to have a goal to focus on. I’ve also found it also really helps me switch off and clear my head after the working week – it’s like four Gin & Tonics, but with better health benefits!
If you’re looking to be further inspired by Kate and her story, she’s put together a list of her top ten favourite wainwrights, with routes, tips and each of their elevations, so you can get out and bag a few (or even all 214) for yourself.
Elise Downing- Completed a 5000-mile run around the UK coast
In 2015, Elise Downing was enjoying living in London at the time of deciding to take on arguably one of the most challenging adventures a person can undertake in Britain. running, unaided around the entire coastline of the UK. Prior to begging her adventure, Elise had little to no experience in long-distance running. Her only experience was in the form of running a marathon dressed as a Crayola crayon, during which she cried for a solid eight miles and got heckled by a small child who called her “the Crying Crayon”.
I’m really not exaggerating when I say that I had absolutely no bloody clue what I was doing. I just had this strong feeling that I wanted to do something
Elise then acted on this call to adventure, uprooting her life in the big smoke and starting her journey in the Winter months, battling the windy wet weather of a particularly wild winter for the first 1000 miles. Completely self-supported, Elise spent ten months running and wild camping her way around the coast and says as the weather improved so did her physical endurance and the enjoyment of the challenge itself. A high point Elise says, were the people she met along the way, describing it as a “domino effect of kindness” she says she had numerous offers from fellow adventurers and locals interested in her story, offering shelter and lodgings for some comfortable overnight stops.
Elise also describes how supportive the community of women adventurers are. Prior to setting off on her 5000 miles run, she speaks of sending an email to Anna McNuff, a female adventurer of great renown, who at the time was running the length of New Zealand. Elise, though never having met Anna, sent her an email outlining her own plans. Anna emailed back almost immediately with open arms, offering an abundance of tips and advice for Elise. Elise goes on to say how special it is that women in the outdoor community support each other and want to welcome other women who wish to do similar things.
All the stories above feature people who really make a difference with their teaching roles, progressive work regarding inclusivity and the impressive challenges that they undertake. If these inspiring women and their stories have made you want to get outdoors and find your own adventure, or you simply fancy updating your kit, follow the link below to shop Blacks’ wide collection of Women’s outdoor wear.
