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But the truth is not exactly that simple.
Photos by Mint Images, Stefan Nita / 500px via Getty Images / Design by Amanda K Bailey
Historically, Black and Indigenous communities and people of color have had less access to nature than white communities.
I built self-confidence by bolstering my outdoor survival skills.
Personally, running on trails fills me in so many ways.
Nature is for all.
I ran to connect with my land and represent my people.
Ive been running joyfully, as a form of play, since I was a kid.
I leaned into the awe of nature and all that it represents to my community.
Cultura has been one key component to finding joy in the outdoors for me.
or What does it mean to experience the outdoors in such a community?
From the answers that come out of those questions, we create, experience, and share joy.
I used the outdoors to build a hobbyand a community.
I started taking more walks outside, until eventually Istarted running.
I fell in love with the process of progress and the challenges that came with it.
They also highlight how very alone I sometimes am when it comes to enjoying the outdoors.
Yet we still do.
I have sought and found a diverse fitness andrunning communityin Boston.
Tameca Fowling, a runner in Cambridge, Massachusetts
5.
I channeled my outdoors expertise to help others gain it too.
How I view the outdoors is both nuanced and simple.
And because of that interconnection, I think that our duty is to continue to build more caring communities.
Thats something Ive noticed is lacking, especially due to our communitys traumas throughout the pandemic.
This serves to bring awareness to one of the major barriers to the outdoors for marginalized groups: access.
I reminded myself that I deserve to find peace and be present in nature.
Being outdoors is an escape from all of that.
I went outside to foster peace and tranquility.
Spending time outdoors brings me peace and grounding and a way to unwind.
It centers me and truly is my therapy.
One of my favorite hikes was a three-day hike in the Andes Mountains in Peru.
We had to carry all our gear and food, and I suffered fromaltitude sickness.
However, I persevered.
The views were out of this world.
I remember feeling so accomplished, but also just an incredible sense of peace.
Yuma Haidura, an outdoor enthusiast in Manchester, New Hampshire
8.
I explored new places with my outdoor time.
I think not having as much access to it has really made it more special for me.
I definitely hike more as an adult, and its something my fiance and I do together.
However, Ive noticed that we rarely run into people who look like us.
Ive found joy in challenging my body and exploring new places.
I created an attainable space for Black people to have fun in nature.
My husband, Claude, and I started Abundant Life Adventure Club four years ago.
We immediately loved it.
We currently have a monthly adventure series called Black Joy in Nature.
Kim Walker, cofounder of Abundant Life Adventure Club
10.
I built a community where others can find support to reach their goals.
We started hosting free to low-cost boot camps across the city of Philadelphia.
It can feel lonely.
I challenged myself to reframe my thinking in the outdoors.
Often, I am one of the fewif not the onlyminorities in outdoor spaces I occupy.
Representation matters everywhere, especially for younger generations who need to see themselves out there.
Ive asked myself, How are these things going to play out?
Do I need to minimize who I am?
Can I really show up authentically as myself?
Adalgisa Lisa Rivera, a runner and pacer forHarlem Runin New York City
12.
I used my outdoor running as the foundation for something larger.
I was overjoyed to see a woman of color on the cover.
Meeting her shortly thereafter made me realize that you could use running as a platform for social change.
It could be a means for the equality you want to see.
Though my roles differ with each organization, my running has taken on a larger meaning.
Jinghuan Liu Tervalon, a writer and runner in Altadena, California
13.
I wanted to celebrate and inspire the Latino running community.
I didnt pick back up with running until I was in my 30s and living in New York City.
I let the outdoors define who I really am.
For me, the outdoors really brought me back to finding acceptance with my culture.
For a long time, my parents didnt understand why I enjoyedcamping, hiking, and climbing so much.
Outside can be lots of things.
It can be a short walk with lots of snacks.
It can be just taking a nap in the dirt.
It can also be sufferfests and trying really hard.
It can be anything that makes me happy or proud.
