Women In The Wild 2018: A Series of Celebrations + Conversations

Climbing higher, running faster, hiking further, pushing boundaries, and breaking barriers. There is no obstacle too great, no mountain too high, no adventure too big or small for Women in the Wild. This isn’t about just keeping up with the boys, or "leveling the playing field." This is about striving for personal bests, finding strengths never thought possible, reaching summits - both literal and metaphorical - and tackling objectives that seem insurmountable. This is about learning that alone you are capable, but together we are unstoppable, and that community should always triumph over competition.

Welcome to the second annual Women In The Wild series!

What is Women In The Wild?

In a true celebration of femininity in the outdoors, we at Outdoor Project are opening our platform to anyone who would like to join in and share their love and support for the Women In The Wild in their lives. This is a series of stories, interviews, adventures, essays, trip reports, anecdotes, and everything in between. Throughout it all we hope to empower and inspire more ladies to get outside while kick-starting some very important conversations around camaraderie, equity, diversity, and community within the outdoors.

It's difficult to detail all that we hope to do with this series here, but over the next eight weeks we will do our best as a media brand to shine a light on the people who rarely get their fair share. We at Outdoor Project are also committed to making this the norm; when summer ends, our responsibility doesn't. Incremental progress may be taking place in the industry, but there is still a lot of work to be done, and we can ALL do better. This is our better, and it's just the beginning. 

Stay in the know on all things Women In The Wild by subscribing to our weekly #WITW newsletter!

This summer series consists of three main parts:

• In-depth interviews with Women In The Wild
• Female-focused content from the community
• Gear and adventures giveaways

1. In-depth interviews with Women In The Wild

We are honored to have over 70 stellar women from throughout the industry taking part in this summer's events, many of which have participated in thought-provoking interviews about their backgrounds, adventures, work, and what makes them #WomenInTheWild. You may recognize their names or recognize their brands; you may also have no idea who any of them are. But we've asked these women to open up, be vulnerable, and share personal experiences, perceptions, and perspectives - and we are excited to share their words with you here:

• Bushra Malik: hiker, paddler, outdoorswoman on a mission
• Lisa Heaton: traveler, explorer, nature advocate
• Allie Kresen: backpacker, hiker, paddleboarder
• Marci Rosales: rock climber, advocate, volunteer, storyteller
• Mai-Yan Kwan: camper, co-founder, graphic designer
• Josie Gutierrez: outdoor explorer, volunteer, mother + grandmother
• Tanelle Bolt: adaptive athlete, nature lover, business founder
• Claire Smallwood: Skier, explorer, founder + executive director of SheJumps
• Serena Bishop Gordon: mountain biker, conservationist, activist
• Noami Grevemberg: full time camper-van traveler, outdoor enthusiast, environmental advocate
• Shanti Hodges: hiker, author, mother, founder of Hike It Baby
• Elyse Rylander: lifelong explorer, outdoor pioneer, founder
• Georgina Miranda: climber, explorer, entrepreneur, founder + CEO
• Nailah Blades: hiker, coach, mother, founder of Color Outside
• Heather Mullins: skier, artist + designer + woodworker, business owner
• Rosa Bianca Velasquez-Perez: traveler, life-long learner, adventurer + outdoor enthusiast
• Lindsay MacNevin: explorer, mother, sister, CEO and co-founder
• Lisa Land: mountain biker, trail builder, coach
• Kimmy Fasani: snowboarder, biker, mother, all-around adventurer
• Tracy Remelius: explorer, yogi, instructor + guide
• Ashley Scheider: photographer, mother, hiker
• Summer of Fat Girls Hiking: hiker, body-positive, founder
• Gloria Hwang: cyclist, designer, founder + owner of Thousand Helmets
• Jainee Dial: explorer, entrepreneur, co-founder of Wylder Goods
• Adriana Garcia: hiker, nature lover, co-founder of LatinX Hikers
• Lindsey Richter: mountain biker, coach, founder of Ladies AllRide
• Emily Downing: adventurer, editor, guide
• Mary Osborne: champion longboarder + surfer, small business owner, coach
• Luz Lituma: hiker, active activist, storyteller, co-founder of LatinX Hikers
• Amy Schweim: mountain biker, world traveler, business owner
• Steph Jagger: skier, author, coach
• Kelsie DiPerna: backpacker, storyteller, world traveler
• Ashley Risacher: trail runner, adventure coach
• Nicole Handel: adventurer, ambassador, dogmom
• Brittany Greer: mountain biker, coach, mentor
• Brianna Ortega: surfer, artist, environmental marine educator
• Brooke Jackson: storyteller, athlete, instructor
• Chelsea Lisaius: surfer, mother, educator
• Laura Hughes: full-time camper traveler, writer, photographer
• Lindsey Elliott: entrepreneur, CEO, fly fisher
• Emily Nielson: Camper, adventurer, business owner + co-founder of Dirty Gourmet
• Lisa Bentley: champion Ironman competitor, speaker, author
• Sensi Graves: kiteboarder, entrepreneur
• Dani Rodriguez: adventurer, storyteller, founder of Mountain Chicks
• Jolie Varela: hiker, indigenous activitist, founder of @indigenouswomenhike
• Kaysee Armstrong: mountain biker, accountant, coach
• Dani Burt: adaptive surfer, world champion, physical therapist
• Justine Nobbe: all-around adventurer, mother, founder of Adventure Mamas 
• Rebecca Ross: mountaineer, climber, storyteller
• Sarah Smith: camper, co-founder of The Dyrt
• Jen Gurecki: founder + CEO of Coalition Snow, magazine editor, podcast co-host
• Mary Cecchini: world traveler, business owner, dream chaser
• Jenny Bruso: writer, hiker, speaker, founder of Unlikely Hikers
• Cait Bourgault: photographer, storyteller, adventurer
• Tara Sou: climber, dermatology researcher, all-around adventurer
• Kimi Werner: freediver, spearfisherwoman, and OluKai ambassador
• Danielle Wolter Nolan + Kate Nolan: adventurers, business owners, teachers
• Mariko Stickland Lum: stand-up paddleboarder, business owner, and OluKai ambassador
• Faith E. Briggs: storyteller + filmmaker, runner, explorer
• and so many more to come throughout the summer!

2. Female-focused content from the community

This is an open invitation to anyone out there who identifies as a woman and who loves the outdoors. Join in, lend your voice, and have a seat at the table! 

Mothers, daughters, sisters; young, old, big, small; professional athletes, first-timers, weekend warriors and instafamous; women of color, immigrants, indigenous, refugees; LGBTQ; disabled recreationists, adaptive athletes. It doesn't matter what you look like or where you come from - the outdoors is for everyone.

• Women Rock: Learning to Lead with She Moves Mountains
• How I Stopped Worrying and Love the Trailer Life
• Your Passion for the Outdoors Isn't Enough
• Getting Out, Again: Postpartum Depression + Healing Outdoors
• Women an Bikepacking: Going Solo
• The New Face of Stewerdship: Agnes Vianzon + Eastern Sierra Conservation Corps
• Give Up to Get Up: Scaling Illiniza Norte
• Finding My Place in the Outdoors: The Power of Female Mentors
• How Mountaineering Changed My Perspective on Beauty
• Learning to Lead: Forming an All-female Lead Climbing Team
• A Lesson in Letting Everything Go
• An Introduction to Basic Bike Maintenance + Fixes
• SOS: Activating That Scary SOS Button On My Garmin InReach
• Lions and Tigers and Bears....Oh, My: Backpacking in Bear Country
• Finding Community in Climbing with Women
• Lightning, Wildfires, and Fickle Friends: Lessons from Mount Whitney
• Buck Knives + Bear Spray
• Hike Like A Girl: Periods + Peeing In The Woods
• The Great Big Journey: How to Crush Your Goals
• The Tipping Point: Learning to Feed an Adventurous Lifestyle
• My Experience Becoming A Wilderness First Responder
• The Transformative Experience of Traveling Alone
• Fishing with Frank: Protecting the Wild Spaces that Heal Humans
• How to Microadventure Like a Badass
• Fall: In Love With No Place in Particular
• Living the Van Life as a Solo Female
• 5 Tips for Dealing with Jealousy When You Have Anxiety + Depression
• The Athlete's Gut: Improving Performance with Gut Health
• Learning the Ropes: A Beginner's Guide to Rock Climbing with Kids
• Working from the Road: The Balancing Act of Van Life
• Volunteering Vacations on Hawai'i's Big Island
• Bikepacking for Beginners
• Anxiety + Depression in the Outdoors
• Nepal Undiscovered: 21 Days Into the Hidden Himalayas - Part I and Part II
• 5 Things You'll Need as a Beginner Mountaineer
• On Raising a Child in the Outdoors
• The Power of Adventurous Women: A Man's Perspective
• The Basics of Camping with Kids
• What's in Your Bag? Women's Backpacking
• The Basics of Backpacking with Kids
• Backpacking with Anxiety + Depression
• 10 Outdoor Women You Should Follow on Instagram
• Inherently Wild: The Power of Female Mentors
• Wild Intentions: Finding Piece of Mind in the Wilderness
• The Outdoor Woman's Reading List
• Adventures with Trail Mavens
• A Guide to the World of Woman-Specific Mountain Biking
• Females Unfiltered
• Socked In But Carrying On: Hiking Mount Rinjani
• Forces of Nature: 10 Female Pioneers of the Outdoor Industry
• Minerva Hoyt: The Woman Behind California Desert Preservation 
• Take Charge of Your Adventures
• Making a Career Out of My Love for the Outdoors
• Equal Measure: Average in an Athletic Industry
• Hiking Through the Years: 30 Years in the Columbia River Gorge
• On Danger and Discomfort
• Snow Climbing the Baldy Bowl
• A Mountain Brat in Death Valley
• Alchemy on the Inca Trail
• Solo Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: The Gifts of Going Alone
• Losing and Finding Control at 18,000 Feet
• Choosing to Go: Accepting Risk as a Single Mom
• How to Be a Good Adventure Buddy
• How to Be a Beginner
• How to Get Into Outdoor Sports (Or Pretty Much Anything)
• Unbound by Steph Jagger
• Steph Jagger: Imagine What's Possible Now
• Steph Jagger: Beyond the Slopes
• ​Inspired by the Outdoors, Founded by Women from Camber Outdoors
• 5 Myths About Breaking into the Outdoor Industry as a Woman from Camber Outdoors
• Microadventures: Discovering Short and Spontaneous Explorations from Outdoor Women's Alliance
• The Power of the Stretch from Living Big
• Taking Your Mountain Biking to the Next Level with Liv Cycling

3. Last but not least....giveaways, galore!

In true Outdoor Project fashion, nothing is complete without giving away rad gear and trips to our community - and so we are pleased to share that we'll be giving away over $10,000 in gear and even an all-inclusive tropical adventure trip this summer. Stay tuned and make sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook for giveaway announcements...you definitely won't want to miss these.

ENTER TO WIN AN EPIC ADVENTURE RETREAT FOR 2 TO HAWAI'I 

Contest has ended as of September 3, 2018 and we are thrilled to congratulate Julie Harvey on winning such an incredible experience!

ENTER TO WIN ONE OF SEVEN DIFFERENT WOMEN-SPECIFIC GEAR PACKAGES

Contest runs from August 21 through September 18, 2018 and includes seven different prize packages worth a total of over $12,000!

Stay in the know on all things Women In The Wild by subscribing to our weekly #WITW newsletter!

If you are interested in joining in and contributing your own stories please contact [email protected]. We would also love to hear about any women you would like to nominate to be featured within this series!