Victoria Amico would say that hiking 100% ruined her life, but in the best way possible. Seven years ago, she thought she knew what she wanted in her career and devoted her whole self to achieving her goals. But then hiking came along and forced her to examine what she really wanted. In the process, Victoria ended up learning how to choose herself and take up space with her body on the trail.Victoria shares how she got started hiking (and the transformation it inspired), why 100 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail was the right number this year, why she started her social platform Plus Sized Outdoors, and her hopes for everyone out there listening. Enjoy listening? Rate & Review She ExploresFeatured in this episode: Victoria AmicoHosted & Produced by Gale StraubA production of Ravel MediaSponsored by DannerJoin the She Explores Podcast community on FacebookVisit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on InstagramResourcesFeatured in this episode: Victoria Amico: @plus_sized_outdoors on InstagramPlus Sized Outdoors YouTubeMentioned in this episode:@chilltash@samortizphoto  @unlikelyhikers@fatgirlshiking@kweenwerk@ashleysadventureHiking My FeelingsEpisodes of She Explores featuring Hiking My Feelings Founder Sydney Williams:Lightening Trauma’s Invisible Weight on the TrailA Big ExhaleIf you enjoyed this episode, we think you’ll like “Owning Her Body on the Trail” featuring Beth Bradley.Rate this podcastRavel MediaSponsors and Discount CodesDanner: Learn more about the Inquire Collection at Danner.com/inquireMusic is licensed via podcastmusic.com.

Whether she’s rock climbing or sailing, McKayla Bower is motivated by always moving forward. And by setting her sights on becoming the first trans woman and queer person to circumnavigate the world solo in her sailboat Swirl, she’s moving forward in more ways than one.We talk about what inspired the trip, how McKayla is preparing for the journey, the kinds of marine life she will encounter, and the big why behind this big endeavor.Featured in this episode: McKayla Bower (she/her)Hosted & Produced by Gale StraubA production of Ravel MediaSponsored by Danner BootsJoin the She Explores Podcast community on FacebookVisit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on InstagramResourcesFeatured in this episode: McKayla BowerWebsite: WhoisMcKaylaBower.comInstagram | YouTube  | TikTok | TwitterRate this podcastRavel MediaSponsors Danner: Learn more about the Inquire Collection at Danner.com/inquireMusic is licensed through podcastmusic.com unless otherwise noted.Music also by Josh Woodward. Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode. 

A hello, what we've been up to, a new podcast Gale's working on called "Creative Fuel", and a fresh episode of She Explores comes back next week. ResourcesFollow Creative Fuel wherever you get podcastsCreative Fuel on Apple PodcastsCreative Fuel on SpotifyFollow About the Journey wherever you get podcastsAbout the Journey on Apple PodcastsAbout the Journey on SpotifyShe-Explores.comMusic by Josh Woodward 

How do you navigate your femininity in a male-dominated space like environmental fieldwork research? For Julia Bingham, it's been an exploration of self.Julia is an interdisciplinary marine scientist and currently a PhD candidate at Duke University. Her research is focused on improving conservation and fishery management through local communities’ knowledge and values. But her discipline hasn’t always been the social sciences. She’s been engaged in field based coastal research in one form or another for nearly 10 years. In undergrad and post grad, their fieldwork had them on rocky shores, mudflats, beach dunes, forested streams, salt marshes, and onboard research boats.This is all important to know because today Julia’s sharing their story of navigating femininity in the field. And whether you’re also in environmental sciences or part of a wholely different profession or pasttime that has made you feel pressured to fit in, that has made you question what makes you “you”, Julia’s words will resonate. Note: there are a few mentions of sexual harassment and sexual assault in this episode. eatured in this episode: Julia Bingham (she/they)Hosted & Produced by Gale StraubA production of Ravel MediaJoin the She Explores Podcast community on FacebookVisit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on InstagramResourcesFeatured in this episode: Julia A. Bingham: Instagram & TwitterRead the abridged version of Julia's essay on She-Explores.comRate this podcastRavel MediaMusic is licensed through Musicbed. Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode. 

Steph Jagger and her mom, Sheila, took a camping road trip together in 2016 across the Rocky Mountains. So often, the purpose of a road trip, or spending time in the outdoors, is to get away from it all. But in this instance, Steph was driving towards something many of us might rather avoid: her mom had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer's dementia. And while Alzheimer's is something that’s hard to talk about, odds are good that you have personal experience with this degenerative disease or another one that’s similar.Those places that we are nervous to go are often the ones that call to us the most strongly. Or at a minimum, they tell us something about ourselves and what we need. In this episode, Steph shares about her trip, which she wrote about in her forthcoming memoir, Everything Left to Remember, what her mom continues to teach her, the benefits of sitting with grief, and an invitation to examine the relationships in your life that mirror the best parts of you.Enjoy listening? Rate & Review She ExploresFeatured in this episode: Steph JaggerHosted & Produced by Gale StraubA production of Ravel MediaSponsored by Uncruise AdventuresJoin the She Explores Podcast community on FacebookVisit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on InstagramResourcesFeatured in this episode: Steph Jagger: @stephjagger on InstagramWebsite: StephJagger.comPre-Order Everything Left to Remember (Available April 2022)Mentioned in this episode:Unbound: A Story of Snow and Self-DiscoveryStory on Journalist Stephen GlassBrandy Carlile quote: “There is nothing more real or more practical in this universe than mysticism. Remember that, and it’s usually sitting right smack in the middle of grief.”HFC WeAreHFC.orgRate this podcastRavel MediaSponsors and Discount CodesUncruise Adventures: Save $500 to $750 per person on sailings in the Sea of Cortez and Spring in Alaska 7-night adventures on bookings made through April 15, 2022 at http://uncruise.com/pages/EXPLOREMusic is licensed through Musicbed.

Ashley Adkins isn’t a scientist, she simply loves recreational caving and the opportunity it offers folks with non-science background to contribute to the ongoing documentation and understanding of underground ecosystems.Listen as Ashley shares her experience getting into caving, which led to her very own dream seasonal job last summer. In a historically male-dominated activity that’s known for gatekeeping, Ashley wants us to know about the new generation of cavers of all genders and specialties that are changing the sport for the better.Enjoy listening? Rate & Review She ExploresFeatured in this episode: Ashley AdkinsHosted & Produced by Gale StraubA production of Ravel MediaSponsored by IndeedJoin the She Explores Podcast community on FacebookVisit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on InstagramResourcesFeatured in this episode: Ashley Adkins: @ashandirons on InstagramMentioned in this episode:Cave diver Jill Heinerth and her book, Into the PlanetMicrobiologist and cave diver Hazel Barton + CaveScience.comRachel aka @PetzlPrincessNew to caving? Find your local grotto here. Nashville Grotto Montana Conservation Corps Application PageIf you enjoyed this episode, we think you’ll like ‘Shining a Light on Caving’ featuring Katt Greaser.Rate this podcastRavel MediaSponsors and Discount CodesIndeed: Indeed makes it easy to hire great talent. Get a $75 job credit before March 31, 2022 at Indeed.com/explores.Music is licensed through Musicbed.

A special announcement from host Gale Straub about the future of this show. Prefer to read it rather than listen? Find the 3-minute transcript on the episode landing page (or linked in the Simplecast player).Hosted & Produced by Gale StraubA production of Ravel MediaJoin the She Explores Podcast community on FacebookVisit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on InstagramResourcesRate this podcastRavel MediaMusic is licensed through Musicbed.Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode. 

Journalist Heather Hansman digs deep into the past, present, and future of skiing in her new book Powder Days. Her love for the sport leaps off the pages, but that doesn’t stop her from looking at skiing through a critical lens as she explores its challenges and triumphs across an expanse of timely subjects: climate, accessibility, culture, and more. We’re joined from the side of a ski hill by Tori Duhaime for this episode. Tori’s a lifelong skier and it’s the sport they choose above all else. While they grew up skiing in Durango, CO, Tori’s a recent transplant to Richmond, VA and has a newfound love for mom & pop ski hills that are found back east. Reading Powder Days got her fired up about a sport she wants to make more accessible for everyone to experience.Enjoy listening? Rate & Review She ExploresFeatured in this episode: Heather Hansman & Tori DuhaimeHosted & Produced by Gale StraubA production of Ravel MediaSponsored by Uncruise AdventuresJoin the She Explores Podcast community on FacebookVisit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on InstagramResourcesFeatured in this episode:Heather Hansman (she/her): Instagram @hhansman and WebsiteTori Duhaime (she/they): Instagram @ToriDuhaimeLearn more about Powder Days and Downriver here!Rate this podcastRavel MediaSponsors and Discount CodesUncruise Adventures: Save $500 to $750 per person on sailings in the Sea of Cortez and Spring in Alaska 7-night adventures on bookings made through April 15, 2022 at http://uncruise.com/pages/EXPLOREMusic is licensed through Musicbed. Episodes air bi-weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode. 

Sarah Dealy was not outdoorsy. But at age 20, during a severe bout of depression, she enrolled in a wilderness therapy program. By the end of the program, she wanted to become an “outdoor girl.”But becoming the outdoorswoman of her dreams didn’t come naturally. Sarah was an indoor kid at heart. She disliked many of the activities she imagined her outdoorsy self doing.On the first episode of Out There Podcast’s new season, Sarah takes us from the desert of Utah to the mountains of Colorado and explores what happens when the person you think you want to be doesn’t mesh with the person you are.About Out ThereLaunched in 2015, Out There is a podcast that explores big questions through intimate stories outdoors. Host Willow Belden just launched their new season, which dives deep into the theme "Things I Thought I Knew." Each episode, they're sharing a story about an outdoor experience that changed someone’s understanding of themselves, their world, or their humanity. Listen to Out There on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and wherever podcasts are found.Featured in this episode: Sarah Dealy, Willow BeldenCredits:This episode was written, produced and sound-designed by Sarah Dealy.Editing by Willow Belden.Music includes selections from Blue Dot Sessions.She Explores is Hosted & Produced by Gale StraubA production of Ravel MediaJoin the She Explores Podcast community on FacebookVisit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on InstagramResourcesOut There’s website“Best of Out There” playlist (this is a great introduction to the show for new listeners!)Sarah Dealy’s websiteSign up here to be notified when Sarah’s series about Troubled Teen wilderness programs comes outIf you are a parent who is considering sending your kid to a wilderness program, Sarah recommends the book Help at Any Cost by Maia SzalavitzRate this podcastRavel MediaEpisodes air bi-weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode. 

Sometimes adventure looks like picking up and moving 3000 miles away from your home to live in the subarctic. Four years ago, Kristen Berkeley was living in Toronto and blogging about fashion, makeup, and cooking. On a whim, she took a job in Yellowknife, a small city in the Northwest Territories of Canada. As a Black woman, Kristen was a bit nervous to move to a city that lacked the diversity of home, but she found herself surprised along the way. Yellowknife ended up being her gateway to incorporating the outdoors into her adventurous spirit, and she’s since started a company called Amplify Outdoors to help invite and uplift more Black, Indigenous, and People of Color into the outdoors with her.About Kristen: Kristen Berkeley (she/her) is originally from Toronto and has been living in the Northwest Territories for nearly four years. Kristen is a former journalist that enjoys writing about social issues and outdoor lifestyles. When she's not cooking delicious meals, Kristen can be found exploring the Northwest Territories and promoting diversity in outdoor spaces with her organization Amplify Outdoors.Enjoy listening? Rate & Review She ExploresFeatured in this episode: Kristen BerkeleyHosted & Produced by Gale StraubA production of Ravel MediaSponsored by Uncruise Adventures & IndeedJoin the She Explores Podcast community on FacebookVisit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on InstagramResourcesFeatured in this episode: Kristen BerkeleyInstagram: @Travel_AdventurehersAmplify OutdoorsWebsiteInstagram: @AmplifyOutdoorsEmpowerment SquaredLearn more about Yellowknives Dene First NationRate this podcastRavel MediaSponsors and Discount CodesIndeed: Indeed makes it easy to hire great talent. Get a $75 job credit before March 31, 2022 at Indeed.com/explores.Uncruise Adventures: Save $500 to $750 per person on sailings in the Sea of Cortez and Spring in Alaska 7-night adventures on bookings made through April 15, 2022 at Uncruise.com/exploreMusic is licensed through Musicbed.Episodes air bi-weekly on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.