For International Women’s Day 2021 the #ChooseToChallenge theme encourages us to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements. This year, in collaboration with Stohk, I have identified 7 women in Edinburgh who are doing extraordinary things in the outdoors. I would like to celebrate their achievements through social media.

Women are vastly under-represented in the outdoors media, and what females are captured are often professional athletes or models, portraying a false or unattainable image of a female in the outdoors. My hope is to showcase ‘ordinary’ women doing extraordinary things outdoors, with a view to inspiring more women outside to enjoy the benefits such as increased self esteem and mental wellbeing that it can bring.

My plan is to meet each of the women on separate days (adhering strictly to COVID social distancing rules) to take part in activity together, mostly cycling, although I’ll also try some outdoor swimming and maybe a spot of bouldering.

I will be doing a take over of the Stohk Instagram account with stories about each of the women who do extraordinary things in the outdoors.

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