from athletes to activists
Stories from
the Ground
In mountain and adventure sport, conquests are often heralded. Even though it is an achievement worthy of celebration to be the first athlete to summit a route or complete an FKT (fastest known time) on a trail, this focus has subtly changed our relationship with the land we compete on — putting our focus on conquest over stewardship.
But the outdoors industry is starting to experience change from within. As shifts in the climate begin to be felt on the landscapes that adventure sports relies on, a new wave of athlete-activists is reshaping the attitudes and values of the whole outdoors community.
athletes becoming activists
In 5 years of trail running, I have competed in races across multiple countries. I was surprised to discover that only one race has had a pre-requisite for entrance that focused on caring for the trails we were about to run — I had to complete a number of hours of trail maintenance to be eligible to race.
So why is it that mountain athletes, whose joy, sports, and even employment are deeply tied to a healthy environment, have never seemed to be the most active group campaigning for our planet? And why does the $800bn global outdoor industry place so little emphasis on protecting the natural environments they rely on?
But the way outdoor sports views land is finally adjusting. Our featured film, ‘Accidental Activism,’ shows how athletes are starting to become active participators in the climate movement. Women in particular are leading the way in reconceptualising nature not a space to be exploited for the sake of adventure, but instead one that needs to be protected as a means to continue participating in the sports we love.
Whilst some adventure sports pros have come to climate advocacy from their personal experiences of environmental degradation in their sports, others have come to sports from the advocacy side and used the platform that sports offers them to bring the spotlight to climate issues.
In 2016, Clare Gallagher broke onto the ultrarunning scene, winning the Leadville 100. Environmental advocacy had always been a part of her life but this newfound platform gave her the ability to push for a more meaningful conversation around how we view trails and mountains. Clare’s passion for the environment started before she broke onto the ultra running scene, when she went to Palau to study coral reef ecology in college. “I was living there when the world woke up to the fact the corals are dying. It made me want to dedicate my life to climate change mitigation.”
Her climate advocacy started with coral reefs but she has since shifted her platform’s focus to help inform and engage her own audience. She sought out ways to make climate action tangible to her particular audience. As most people who follow her are trail runners, so began speaking out about the issues that affect them: forest fires, air quality, and policy on public land.
By consistently speaking on issues that affect runners, Clare is hoping to mobilise a untapped voter base to push the climate agenda. In the U.S. alone over 8.5 million people identify as regular trail runners. If mobilised, this immensely large community could make a huge impact on climate policy. And that is precisely what is so great about having an advocate as active as Clare in our community. She doesn’t just talk about these issues — she is consistently doing the work.
She has stated that “the single most important thing we can do to protect what we care about is vote for the people that care about the environment. This means voting for political leaders who will prioritise climate policy and end subsidies for fossil fuel extraction. In order to truly mitigate and adapt to climate change we need systematic change within our laws and government. Beyond voting, we can also take the time to call or write to our elected officials and share our personal experiences.”
One of Clare’s largest wins to date, the 2019 Western States 100 miles endurance run, came days after spending two weeks on a mountaineering trip in Alaska advocating for saving the Arctic National Wildlife Preserve. The dogged persistence and strength of will that make Clare a world class endurance athlete are the same skills that make her an inspiring climate campaigner.
