Break one barrier, and the whole wall comes down.
The hardest part of anything is getting started. Those moments between thinking about doing something, and actually doing it. But once you take that first step, half of your hard work is already done.
The same can be said for the outdoors. Building up that confidence to try something new, something so out of your comfort zone, it can be extremely daunting. And it feels the most intimidating before you’ve even begun. You experience a wave of expectations and pressures set by strangers effortlessly summiting peaks or running distances you couldn’t even imagine, faster than you’d ever think. A quiet pressure is created, and suddenly you feel like in order to try something new, you have to be good at it first go. It has to be impressive; you have to be fast, you can’t struggle too much, can’t stop, can’t slow down.
So you don’t try.
You think about it, but the pressure is too overwhelming, because what if you aren’t good at it first go?
We have all forgotten how to be a beginner.
Girls MFG Climbing Night
Photo: Lucy Sizer
You gain the most from an experience when you push yourself out of your comfort zone and you give it a go. That’s how you grow. This can be especially applicable to women in the sporting/outdoors industry. We have seen a lack of female representation in this industry, which just emphasizes the fear we feel in getting started. As girls it is so easy to be intimidated by the ‘male dominated’ sports, enough to discourage us from even trying. I was always scared I would be too slow, not good enough, any excuse not to do it. However, all it takes is doing something once for you to realise you can actually do it.
Movement for Good recently held a climbing event at Boulder Co. in Christchurch. It was the first of three Girls MFG events, which will be followed by a hike and a trail run. So many girls who came along had never climbed before. They took that first step through our event, gave it a go, and based off of the smiles on everyone’s faces, it was well worth it. It was such an encouraging, inclusive, and inspiring event. Everyone was there to either try something new, or do something they loved, and meet other people wanting to do the same. We talked the entire time, connecting with other people through our shared love of movement. All proving that in order to start a new activity, sport, you can start from the beginning and be a learner.
Photo: Lucy Sizer
The most rewarding part of the event was hearing all the girls saying that they’re going to go climbing again. If we can get just one woman to pick up a new activity, that’s our goal completed. To see multiple girls return to the climbing gym after the event, with a passion for a new sport, it was incredible!
MFG events are all about taking that first step towards a new sport, building up the confidence to go out there and do it again on your own. By breaking down that first barrier, you see how ‘the whole wall comes down’ because it’s not as scary as you may think. No one actually cares what grade you climb, how fast you run, how much elevation your tramp had.
All that matters is that you did it.
And suddenly you go out again, and again, and again. And you improve. You love it, and you can even help other people give it a go.
Being outdoors is all about the community, and the shared love for movement. It doesn’t matter how experienced you are, just go out there and give it a go.
Cheers everyone for such a good event
Photo: Lucy Sizer
Huge thanks to Gritt for helping organise the event and providing the food. The MFG crew for being such amazing helpers, and Boulder Co Christchurch for providing such a great venue.
See you on the next one.
Sas