Mentor scheme
Starting out in adventure can be difficult. There are so many things to get your head around! How do you work out where to sleep each night? How far should I plan to travel each day? What do I eat? How exactly do I go to the toilet?!
That’s why we set up the Love Her Wild Mentor Scheme! Women are matched with experienced adventurers who can help them on the build up to an expedition. To be accountable and to have someone there to answer questions.
Susie SoleX Adenture
Meet the Mentor: Anna Blackwell
Anna Blackwell is an adventurer, writer, photographer and speaker with a love of the outdoors and pushing her limits. This has led her to pursue numerous adventures, from kayaking across Europe, spending five weeks trekking across the wilderness of Arctic Sweden alone, to walking 1,000 miles solo across France and Spain, and even hitch-hiking to Morocco.
Meet the Mentee: Susan Howard-Jones
Susan is a middle aged mother of three. Her eldest has now left home to pursue his own adventures and this got her thinking… Why can’t I do this too? Adventuring isn’t easy still with two much younger children, a busy life and a wonderful, but hardworking stressed husband while also struggling with anxiety. But Susan felt inspired after attending adventure talks and is ready to make her adventure idea a reality!
Cycling Sweden to Scotland
Next year Mari-Claire plans on taking her summer holiday to cycle from Stockholm in Sweden to Stirling in Scotland. She will carry everything she need on her bike and camp as much as possible – blogging about her experience along the way. Her plan is to then build up to cycling the length of New Zealand the following year and in the build up will be supported by Claire Mason.
Meet the Mentor: Claire Mason
Claire’s last big adventure was cycling from London to Tokyo for 18 months, and although she admits it sounds corny she will tell anyone that will listen how life changing it was. Claire is now embarking on a different kind of adventure by completing her studies to become a qualified psychologist. Her long term goal is to bring together the two areas that interest her most by working towards increasing mental well-being whilst being active and outdoors . “Ultimately I want to support women from all backgrounds to get involved in adventures, big or small.”
Meet the Mentee: Mari-Claire
Mari-Claire is a 25 years old and recently moved to Sweden. Having grown up involved in a lot of sports, dance and activities, She’s always loved pushing herself physically and mentally. At the moment she teach physical education in a Swedish school and is interested in fitness instructing too. Through increasingly more challenging adventures she wants to be able to develop her own mindset, meet like-minded folks and inspire others to follow their own dreams!
#TheBondGirls
37 year old Kelly Bond was no stranger to adventurous pursuits before her daughter, Millie, came along 18 months ago and is now excited to have a little companion to share her outdoors experiences with. Having climbed Mount Snowden together last summer #thebondgirls are now planning an even bigger feat for 2019 and are extremely grateful to have the opportunity to be mentored, thanks to Love Her Wild, by the amazing Catherine Edsell.
Meet the Mentor: Catherine Edsell
Catherine Edsell is a female adventurer, expedition leader, PADI Divemaster, Reef Check trainer, yoga teacher, FRGS, mother of two. After a period of feeling stuck, not sure how to incorporate her role as a mother with that of an expedition leader she went on to design and lead transformational expeditions for women tracking desert elephants in Namibia. Her newest ventures are a ‘Mother & Daughter Adventure’ focusing on wilderness, wonder and bonding, along with an all-female coral reef conservation expedition in Madagascar. Catherine also collaborates with fellow expedition leaders to create brilliant unique adventures!
Running the South West Coast
In 2018 Leah Atherton will be in denial about turning 30. She has decided to mark the event by running the South West Coast Path, a 630-mile coastal path, in memory of her late father, a talented athlete who taught her that stubbornness is good and that magic is never lost, only forgotten. Leah will be mentored by Elise Downing.
Meet the Mentor: Elise Downing
In her own words, “one evening, the idea of running around the coast of Britain popped into my head. It was an idea I just couldn’t shake. I liked running and I liked the sea – what can possibly go wrong?“. Between 2015 and 2016, Elise made her dream a reality when she spent the best part of a year running 5,000 miles, unsupported around the British Coast. She was running up to 33miles a day and carrying all her kit on her back.
Cycling to Copenhagen
This summer, Alice is planning a trip that will see her cycle from the UK to a city she’s been told she’ll love due to its vast number of bikes, scenery and outdoor activities – Copenhagen. Having completed a cycle challenge at home when just 16 years old, and recently tasted cycle touring abroad, she is ready for more. Alice will be mentored by Jenny Tough.
Meet the Mentor: Jenny Tough
Jenny has travelled to six continents solo. She has cycled around Europe, paddled through the South American jungle, run marathons, dived with sharks, surfed in the North Sea, competed in numerous adventure races, and lived in five countries. In 2016, Jenny ran over 900 kilometres in 25 days, the length ofKyrgyzstan , solo and self-supported. She believes everyone has the spirit of an explorer within them; “Whatever your ability and availability, get outside, and go find an adventure“.
Meet the Mentee: Alice Hall
Alice, 20 from Liverpool, loves the mountains rivers and lakes and spends as much time as she can immerse into the natural environment. When she isn’t out and about she’s riding her bike, studying Outdoor Education at university or back home on her narrow-boat.
Walking 5000 Miles in a Year
Sadly in 2015, when Natalie Thomas’s daughter was just 7 weeks old, her father passed away. In November 2016, fed up with being overweight, she decided to do something about it. 2017 is the 2nd anniversary of her father passing away and she wanted to continue his high charity work spirit. Natalie has set herself an epic challenge: 365 days.. an average woman….mum to a 2-year-old daughter.. one aim.. to walk 5000 miles. Natalie will be mentored by Laura Penhaul.
Meet the Mentor: Laura Penhaul
Laura Penhaul didn’t just have a dream to lead the first ever all-female team across the Pacific ocean, she made it happen. In January 2016, after almost 9 months at sea, Laura and the Coxless Crew rowed into the harbour at Cairns, Australia. They’d journeyed over 9,200 miles across the Pacific, becoming the first all-female team, and the first ever team of four to do so in the process. She is now back in her day job as a medic for the GB Athletics Paralympic team.
Follow Laura here.
Meet the Mentee: Natalie Thomas
Natalie is a 28-year-old mum to a little girl called Gia. She works in care and leads what she calls ‘a pretty average life‘. Natalie grew up in Yorkshire with her mum and dad. Charity and giving things back to people was a really important part of her childhood, which is why she has dedicated the adventure to raising money.
100km Continuous Walk
After a hip operation, Pamela was looking for something to focus on to help her through the rehabilitation. Running was now out of the question. By chance, she discovered the 100km Thames Path Challenge. A continuous 100km walk, with a target time of 20 -33 hours. That was it, Pamela was hooked. She may not be able to run, but she can definitely walk! Pamela will be mentored by Bex Band.
Meet the Mentor: Bex Band
Fed up with feeling like 9-5 living wasn’t for her, Bex quit her job as a teacher to pursue a life of adventure and travel. Since then she has hiked over 1000km the length of Israel, sailed across the North Sea and kick scooted the length of the USA. She loves inspiring others to find more adventure in their lives through her blog and the Love Her Wild community.
Meet the Mentee: Pamela Bortey
Pamela lives in London and is currently working for a music company. She decided to sign up for a challenge to really push herself out of her comfort zone – hiking 100km of the Thames Path. In one go! As someone who hasn’t hiked before this is a big challenge.
Hiking the North Coast 500
Shell Owen is planning to hike 500 miles on the North Coast route which goes the perimeter of the Scottish Highlands. She is aiming for a goal time of 30 days. The North Coast 500 is usually favoured by drivers and cyclists but, as Shell puts it, “surely this is the route the Proclaimers foresaw in their hit I would walk 500 miles, and so I decided that I would walk it”. Shell will be mentored by Emma Timmis.
Meet the Mentor: Emma Timmis
Emma often finds herself on a continuous cycle of adventurous pursuits from cycling, hiking, climbing, skating and running. She has run across Africa twice, cycled to the Dolomites and won the award for Physical Endeavour at the National Adventure Awards 2015. She considers herself a normal person and one of her strategies in life is to “try to work on my weaknesses and focus on embracing my strengths”
Meet the Mentee: Shell Owen
Shell is a 27-year-old adventure newbie. She works as a freelance Assistant Producer in Glasgow and she says she wants there to be more than her job that defines her as a person.In the past year, she has jumped head first into the outdoors and the world of fitness. Taking her first steps into running and hillwalking, she also enjoys cycling and cross-fit which she says she can’t live without. Inspired by other female adventurers, she has set up Girl Powered and hopes to inspire others as she goes on this journey.