ADVENTURERS OF THE YEAR
BEING A PERSON OF COLOUR IN THIS FIELD IS LIKE MOST OF THE REST OF MY LIFE. Although the spaces I inhabit tend to be predominantly white — the schools I’ve attended, where I’ve called home, where I’ve worked — I don’t find it difficult to oſten be the only or one of a few POC (people of colour). What I find exhausting is navigating people’s expectations of me based on their preconceived notions of who I am, what I do, what I know or don’t, and how folks believe I should exist in the outdoors.
The ultramarathon runner MIRNA VALERIO
A runner, author and educator, Mirna has faced racism, sexism and body shaming, and is dedicated to challenging stereotypes around who is and isn’t an athlete.
ADVENTURE IS DOING SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF ORDINARY LIFE. Whatever that thing is, it fires up your soul, spirit and imagination, and brings the ordinary into perspective.
ONE OF MY FAVOURITE MEMORIES OF RUNNING IS… running a five-mile section of the [Georgia] Sky to Summit with my friend Amy. I hadn’t planned on accompanying her, because I was still recovering from the Javelina Jundred 100k. It was pretty technical and I discovered that my body could keep moving on tough terrain. We ran some sections pretty fast (well, fast for me), and I was amazed at my ability to move as though I hadn’t just done the most difficult thing of my life. It was also autumn and the colours of the forest were spectacular. Aſterwards we went to a local restaurant and had a sumptuous brunch that included pumpkin waffles and maple syrup. While we were eating, Amy said: “This is how life should be. Run trails with friends. Eat. Repeat.”
ABOVE: Mirna running around Blackrock Lake, in Georgia
THE CLOSEST I’VE COME TO ROCK BOTTOM IS WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS HAVING A HEART ATTACK A WHILE AGO. Everything I’d done to create a life for me and my family that I was proud of suddenly came into question — why was I doing all of this if it only meant I was slowly killing myself? Suddenly, everything came into perspective.
HOW DO I DEAL WITH CRITICISM? When it comes from a place of ignorance, I either work to correct the misinformation, usually by writing about it and attacking each untruth one by one, or I simply listen and allow myself to feel hurt for a moment before I move on. When it comes from a genuine place of people asking hard questions, I take a deep breath and try to reconcile my own experiences and opinions with the fact that folks are oſten doing the same. I try to bring people gently into my own world so that they understand my perspective and experiences within the context of their own.
MY FAVOURITE PLACE IN THE WORLD USED TO BE ANDALUSIA — GRANADA AND CÓRDOBA TO BE EXACT. I still adore these places, but I’ve recently travelled to the Azores to participate in the Azores Trail Run weekend. The islands, her people and her trails are magical.
WHEN I’M FEELING STRESSED AND OVERWHELMED, I SING OPERA — LOUDLY. Even though I’m a classically trained singer, I don’t really sing much anymore, unless I’m experiencing a high level of stress. My mother pointed this out to me — I hadn’t even noticed this about myself.
IF I COULD TELL MY 10-YEAR-OLD SELF ONE THING... It would be that the process of writing those long, angst- ridden entries in your journal and reading all of those books will teach you some very important things about writing, life, grit, and perseverance. Keep doing it and never feel bad about being a nerd — these two things will take you far.
Adventure September 2018 23
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