Forces Of Nature
Interntional Womens Day: Women Who Go
This International Women's Day, we asked the women of our Trailblazer & Zorali team three simple questions:
- What does the ourdoors mean to you?
- When did you feel powerful outside?
- What advice would you give to women wanting to start their journey outdoors?
What came back wasn't just a collection of answers. It was a reminder.
A reminder that the outdoors isn't about distance, speed or summits.
It's about freedom
It's about coming home to yourself.
It's about realising you're capable of more than you think.
The Outdoors as Home
For many of the women, the outdoors wasn't just a place, it was a feeling.
Elise described it as "as sense of home... where I go to connect to my roots, find clarity and appreciate the world around me."
Tarnea called it "a full reset. Grounding, calming and clarifying all at once."
Gabriella sees it as a "playgound, endless and limitless, allowing you to explore your own limits.
Steph shared that outdoors means "freedom and simplicity. Where life boils down to food, water, shelter and sleep.
Different landscape. Different adventures.
But the same thread, nature feels like home.
The Moment Everything Shifted
Power didn't always arrive at a summit. Sometimes it came quietly.
For Gabriella, it was walking a childhood cliff trail on her own little legs at four years old, earning a handmade certificate from her parents.
For Elise, it was her first overnight hike at 15. Learning to navigate, collect water, and be self-sufficient. "There was a moment that felt powerful, probably for the first time."
Sue felt it carrying all her gear on a 30km overnight hike. Strong, capable, independent.
Tarnea felt it mid-trail run, when every part of her want to stop but she keeps climbing anyway. "The real power is in proving to myself that I can keep going."
None of these stories are about being the fastest or strongest. They are about discovering capability.
Advice for Women Wanting to Start
If there was one consistent message across every response, it was this:
You don't have to do anything extreme.
"Start small", Sue shared
"Just start", said Tarnea.
"Follow your excitement", encouraged Lauren.
"The magic is in what it makes you feel, not the kilometres walked," Gabriella reminded us.
Elise and Caz both pointed to something powerful: community.
Find your people.
Join a group.
Be brave enough to start a conversation.
Outdoor people are generally lovely, and they want to share the places they love.
Confidence doesn't come before you begin. It comes because you begin.
As Steph put it: "Every badass outdoor adventurer was once a beginner."
A Final Word: Here's to Women Who Go
Reading these stories, one thing is clear. There is no single way to be an "outdoor women."
Power can look like:
Carrying your own pack.
Running up the mountain when it hurts.
Moving countries to chase the snow.
Learning to navigate.
Laughing at mistakes.
Take your first small walk.
Simply giving it a go.
Nature doesn't ask you to be fearless. It asks you to be present.
This International Womens Day, we celebrate the women who go, and the ones who are just about to.
Here's to taking up space on the trial.
Here's to trusting ourselves.
Here's to bringing other women with us.
