In their own words
We asked some local women to reflect on their time spent outdoors and share what nature means to them. Here are their responses.Jenny Baker, 36, says, “There’s no better place to teach our girls to be capable and to believe they are capable. When my daughter climbs, she sometimes gets into difficult places, and I can work with her, coach her and help her be confident and realize she is strong and smart. She is a problem solver and what she learns outside will translate into the real world. … When I run with women, and camp with them; when I’m in the outdoors with them generally, I find we are all in a place of vulnerability where we genuinely see each other for who we are. In the outdoors, we can be our true selves and connect with each other about our failures, and we can celebrate our successes. There are no statuses, and that level of equality is so attractive in a culture that labels everything.”Stephanie Wilkins, 47, says, “When I started climbing as a young adult, my whole outlook on nature changed. Having a vertical perspective allowed me to see the world differently and it gave me a completely different mindset about what was possible. The sport was predominantly male in Birmingham. In Chattanooga, there’s a whole community of men and women I can climb with.”Kellye Tilford, 29, says, “In the seventh grade, I went to camp at an outdoor, Christian, adventure camp deep in the hill country of Texas — a place where rolling hills looked like mountains to my untrained eye. We were hours from civilization and at night you could see stars. Like, really see them, as if you could reach up, touch them and dance with them. I felt deep inner-peace in this isolated heaven on earth. It became a home for my heart.”Hannah Elrod, 34, says, “I’ve never felt hindered by being a female, but how you see yourself in the world can be impacted by the people around you. … You can be female and be strong and capable. … When you find a group of women who are encouraging, it makes everything better. … Anytime we’re motivated or limited by fear, we’ve lost before we started.”
More Info
To learn more about becoming an “Outdoor Girl” or volunteering to help, contact Toccora Johnson at tjohnson@girlsincofchatt.org.
As a little girl, my parents – but mostly my mother and her friends – guided me in the outdoor world. Our outings were on the trails in the high country of Colorado, where I learned to read a map, identify plants and animal tracks and to pack for any weather.
Through my childhood, I hiked, skiied and backpacked. In my teens, I added rock climbing and trail running. I didn’t know anyone who was trail running back then, but it seemed to be the natural extension of my love for the outdoors. I felt, and continue to feel, empowered every time I go outside.
When I first moved to Chattanooga in 2002, it was rare that I saw anyone on the trails on Lookout Mountain. And when I did see someone, it wasn’t a woman. Over the years, though, women’s participation in Chattanooga’s outdoor scene – and in the country’s at large – has grown.