Social media is changing the way we share things. More often than not, sharing is facilitated by fully charged phones and computers, instead of communal experiences and real conversations. And the outdoors is not immune from that shift. That’s why REI Co-op member and fitness activist Andia Winslow is combating the change the best way she knows how: with a simple invitation.
“When I lived in New York, I’d organize hikes. I ended up taking a lot of people to local, state and regional parks. It kind of changed their mentality about what a hike was … getting people to see that they could do this—it’s free, it doesn’t take much time—and they would continue it on their own with their own families,” said Andia, who now lives in Los Angeles.
Photo Credit: Alison Vagnini @alisonvagnini
While living in the city, she also founded a program called The Fit Cycle with a goal to “create a culture of wellness in communities that have often been disenfranchised and/or ignored.” Through a series of online workout videos, Andia offers alternatives to the traditional hike. She wanted to help people be active, no matter where they are. That’s also why she partners with the National Park Service on “Every Kid in a Park,” which gives fourth graders and their families free access to national parks.
Since not all of us are lucky enough to live near national parks, Andia offers this advice: “Try to find local state, city and regional parks. If you don’t have a car and it’s not within walking distance, find out how you can get there using mass transit. That’s how you start,” Although taking the first step can be the hardest part, she says just one hike, bike, run, walk or other small change can create a ripple effect.
“From there, these people then want to protect land. They realize what the importance of it is—it’s not just some mountain far away in the distance,” she said. “This belongs to you, and you need to protect it. And so that for me [that] is the most important thing, turning people who are ambivalent into stewards and protectors of land that we all need to share and protect.”
Photo Credit: Alison Vagnini @alisonvagnini
The idea of sharing a love of the outdoors hits close to home for Andia. As a child and teenager in Seattle, she spent weekends exploring the Pacific Northwest. “We grew up hiking and biking and kayaking and sailing and rock-climbing and all of those things. Living in Seattle lends itself to that kind of upbringing. I was so lucky growing up. I won the lottery—both with my family and also our access to the outdoors,” she said.
Her childhood sparked her quest to create a generational change in other families who maybe didn’t have the same opportunities. “It’s cool to engage with people and hear their stories when you’re walking, and to have folks who have never done this before say, ‘Wow, for me this is a gift, I have access to it,’” she said.
Although Andia’s fitness activism started online, analytics software can’t measure her true impact. When she started making videos showing folks how to be active in their own spaces, without equipment, she was giving people more than just fitness advice. “A lot of folks who didn’t have the capital or the means or access to gyms, they didn’t think they were eligible to be healthy and well,” she said.
These days, she’s in Los Angeles embarking on another initiative that bridges the gap between online and outside. And instead of viewing social media as a distraction, Andia uses it as a way to bring people together by inviting people to come hiking. “On Facebook, I talk about the trail, the history, what you’ll encounter. If you’re a beginner, there’s a whole list of things you’ll need to bring and consider,” she said. And then they set off. She doesn’t position it like a challenge. Just another invitation. To anyone and everyone with the slightest urge to get outside.