Brittany Leavitt on Joy-filled Affinity Spaces, Active Rest, and Co-founding Brown Girls Climb

In the last episode of Season 3, Faith and Addie recap the season, share their reflections and discuss the tension of holding both hope and motivation to continue to make change. The hosts recount past guest conversations, learnings they’ve taken away from these discussions and questions they get asked most as they continue to tackle the dialogue on The Trail Ahead.Plus, we welcome Faith back after maternity leave and get to hear how she and baby Yaya are doing! EPISODE LINKSDr. Rae Wynn Grant's new showhttps://www.mutualofomaha.com/wild-kingdom/?src=wildkingdom.com"Playin Mas'" https://www.certifiedafrica.com/blog/playin-mas-an-overview-of-the-trinidad-tobago-traditionLink to cartoons:Equality vs Equity (ladders graphic) https://subjectguides.library.american.edu/c.php?g=1025915&p=7715533Systemic Barriers (footrace graphic) https://www.cta.org/our-advocacy/social-justice/black-lives-matter Lydia Jennings TTA Episodehttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-trail-ahead/id1559765753?i=1000516900792Jose Gonzalez TTA Episodehttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-trail-ahead/id1559765753?i=1000555596159Clare Gallagher TTA Episodehttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-trail-ahead/id1559765753?i=1000530828790Alekesam (our theme music!)

Mauricio (Mau) Díaz is the CEO and co-founder of Aire Libre Running. Aire Libre designs and operates running and hiking experiences around the world that connect participants to new places and cultures through sustainable tourism.Mau is from Mexico City, Mexico and enjoys exploring the mountains around the city by foot (often accompanied by his dog). He is an ultrarunner and lululemon ambassador.  EPISODE LINKS:Mau on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/maudac/Aire Libre Websitehttps://airelibre.run/Aire Libre on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/airelibre.run/An Intimate Look at Mexico’s Indigenous Seri People, New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/16/travel/comcaac-seri-people-mexico.html

Kayla Jeter is a Cleveland Ohio native, former professional volleyball player, mindset coach, personal trainer, stress-management coach and wellness entrepreneur.She is the founder of #100MilesofSummer, a global running community and  founder of Soho House Chicago Run Club. Kayla is a global Lululemon ambassador and a member of the Lululemon FURTHER initiative.On this episode, Addie is joined by The Trail Ahead Season 2 guest, Kamilah Journét, as a guest co-host. LINKS:Fit + Full by Kaylahttps://www.fitandfullbykayla.com/Streets Calling Bike Clubhttps://www.streetscallingbc.com/Running While Black by Alison Mariella Desir https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/675749/running-while-black-by-alison-mariella-desir/100MilesofSummer™️https://www.instagram.com/100milesofsummer/lululemon FURTHER Initiativehttps://corporate.lululemon.com/media/press-releases/2023/05-23-2023-190009165

Ambreen Tariq is a Muslim, an immigrant, an activist, and an outdoor enthusiast. She describes herself as a proud feminist and an advocate for social justice in American society. She’s the founder of @BrownPeopleCamping, a social media initiative that uses digital storytelling to celebrate people of color in the outdoor community. Ambreen is also the author of Fatima’s Great Outdoors, a children’s picture book centering on an immigrant family embarking on their first camping trip.This episode is edited by Misty Avinger. Our theme music is by Alekesam, check them out via the link in our shownotes.LINKS FOR AMBREENBrown People Camping https://www.brownpeoplecamping.com/ Find Your Parkhttps://findyourpark.com/ Fatima's Great Outdoors the Children's Bookhttps://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/50713833 Stevie Lewishttp://www.chocosweete.com/ Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer https://www.robinwallkimmerer.com/ Video of Ambreen Camping and Cooking and Visiting Wild Horses by Insider Studioshttps://vimeo.com/562895054 The Trek, Q&A with Ambreen Tariq by Ruth Nasrullahhttps://thetrek.co/meet-ambreen-tariq-the-activist-behind-brown-people-camping/   My Immigrant Story: Loneliness and Empowerment at the American Campgroundhttps://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/hiking-and-backpacking/lets-talk-about-privilege-outdoors/ Alekesam (Our theme music!)https://open.spotify.com/artist/2JM2yzMSOgq7VeG6nKm3PY?si=YrIzzWOwSvCZ49oSutZZLw

Chelsea Murphy is an outdoor advocate, enthusiast, creative, and inspirer. She is the mother of three, and is on a mission to create a better, more inclusive outdoor culture for her mixed children.Born in San Diego, CA and raised in Tacoma, WA she has always had a connection with nature and the outdoors. After moving to the mountains, she immediately recognized the lack of diversity in outdoor adventure. Chelsea started @she_colorsnature to create a community space for celebrating diversity outside. She also uses her platform to encourage parents to spend time outside with their kids, and centers her mothering philosophy on spending at least 30 minutes outside each day.In this episode we hear from her about navigating historically white spaces, balancing the important job of being a mother of three while leading and curating an online community space, reframing narratives, moving into storytelling behind the camera and much more.This episode is edited by Misty Avinger. Our theme music is by Alekesam, check them out via the link in our shownotes.Chelsea Murphy’s Website https://shecolorsnature.com/Chelsea Murphy On Instagram https://www.instagram.com/she_colorsnature/Expedition Reclamation https://www.bravespaceproject.org/Alekesam on Spotify 

This week the Trail Ahead brings you an episode by Immigrantly, "a boundary-pushing, border-crossing podcast that gives diverse voices and stories home."Their guest, Vanessa Chavarriaga Posada, is a Colombian-American athlete, activist, and environmental sociologist who is always on the move. From the freezing valleys of Alaska to the cloud forests of Colombia, Vanessa spends her days' hiking, skiing, mountaineering, running, and ice skating through beautiful landscapes.  But at the same time, her travels go beyond mere wanderlust. Through her work as an environmental sociologist, Vanessa encourages everyone to remember the social and cultural dynamics of the environment. What is our relationship to the outdoors? How can everyone enjoy what the world offers regardless of identity, location, or economic status? And perhaps most importantly, how do we preserve our planet for the future? Join the conversation: Instagram @immigrantlypod | Twitter @immigrantly_pod | Host & Executive Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Michaela Strauther I Editorial Review: Kylee Roberts I Sound Designer & Editor: Manni Simon I Immigrantly Theme Music: Evan Ray Suzuki I Other Music: Epidemic SoundsThe Trail Ahead Presents: Immigrantly featuring Vanessa Chavarriaga PosadaFollow along with Vanessa via https://www.instagram.com/vanessa_chavOur theme music for The Trail Ahead  is by Alekesam, check them out via the link in our shownotes.

Yatika Starr Fields, is a Painter and Muralist who lives and works in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Yatika Fields is part of the Cherokee, Creek and Osage Tribes. He is also a Bear clan member. While attending the Art Institute of Boston from 2000 to 2004, he became interested in Graffiti aesthetics, which has been integral to his knowledge and process along with Landscape painting- and continues to influence his large- scale projects and studio works. His artworks explore the themes of family, community, and cultural diversity to illustrate its significance in societal norms for Native Americans. In addition, he is an avid distance runner who both runs and bikes ultra-marathon distances. He is involved with collective efforts to increase visibility, participation and acknowledgement of Indigenous voices, places and people in outdoor pursuits. He is a frequent collaborator with Rising Hearts, an indigenous led grassroots organization with a vision for a socially, economically and environmentally-just world, they often use running as a medium for activism and advocacy.In this episode we talk about finding healing through running and returning home, the many shared parts of our identities, Yatika's advocacy efforts that have led to name changes of offensive race events and much more.This episode is edited by Misty Avinger. Our theme music is by Alekesam, check them out via the link in our shownotes.Links for Yatika EpisodeYatika websitehttps://www.yatikafields.com/Yatika on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/yatikafields/Osage Nationhttps://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/Muscogee Nation Websitehttps://www.muscogeenation.com/Wings of America Websitehttps://www.wingsofamerica.org/Rickey Gates - TransAmericanahttp://www.rickeygates.com/transamericanaUltra Trail Mont Blanc Trail Series (UTMB)https://montblanc.utmb.world/Why the Land Run 100 changed its name to the Mid South:https://cyclingmagazine.ca/gravel/why-the-land-run-100-changed-its-name-to-the-mid-south/Why the Name of a Major Gravel Event Is Being Changed: On the Dirty Kanza and the cycling world's reckoning with a racist, exclusionary pasthttps://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/biking/kanza-name-change-indigenous-bike-race/Rising Hearts - Indigenous Led Grassroots Organizationhttps://www.risinghearts.org/Jordan Marie Whetstone on Instagram and Websitehttps://www.instagram.com/nativein_la/https://www.jordanmariedaniel.com/Know to Run Film with Yatika & Rising Heartshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAbapAmkjFo&themeRefresh=1This Land Podcast - all about Oklahoma History and “Indian Country”https://crooked.com/podcast-series/this-land/Alekesam (Our theme music!)https://open.spotify.com/artist/2JM2yzMSOgq7VeG6nKm3PY?si=YrIzzWOwSvCZ49oSutZZLwLinks related to The Debrief:The Body Doesn’t Know Miles, It Knows Stress by David Rochehttps://www.trailrunnermag.com/training/trail-tips-training/the-body-doesnt-know-miles-it-knows-stressEpisode 16 of The Trail Ahead: Rest, Our Right Relationship with Nature, and Community Care with Laura Edmondsonhttps://www.trailaheadpodcast.com/episodes/rest-our-right-relationship-with-nature-and-community-care-with-laura-edmondson

Brittany Leavitt is the co-founder of Brown Girls Climb, a lifelong educator and someone who loves the outdoors. We talk with her about what it means to be shifting careers to be the full-tome CEO of Brown Girls Climb and how she first came to the outdoors. Hint: Her career day outfit in Elementary School says a lot! Brittany has always connected to the outdoors, from the mountains in upstate New York, to the ocean sides of Massachusetts, to city life in Washington DC (currently in Brooklyn, NY). For the last eight years, Brittany has led and taught others how to enjoy the outdoors safely while also clearing pathways for the PGM (People of Global Majority) in the community—working as a leader with organizations such as Outdoor Afro, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and REI. In 2018 Brittany was recognized as one of Blue Ridges Mountain Magazine’s 30 under 30 and American Alpine Club-DC section’s “one to watch.”   Hope you enjoy this conversation talking about everything from climbing Kilimanjaro to creating brave spaces within climbing gyms as much as we did!LINKS:Brittany on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/bleavitt8/ Brittany’s Personal Websitehttps://www.britleavitt.com/ Brown Girls Climbhttps://www.browngirlsclimb.com/ Outdoor Afro https://outdoorafro.org/ Color the Craghttps://colorthecrag.com/ GP81https://www.gp-81.com/ Brown Ascendershttps://www.thebrownascenders.org/ Sending in Colorhttps://sendingincolor.com/ PGM Onehttps://www.pgmone.org/ Chelsea Griffiehttps://www.outsidebusinessjournal.com/issues/homage/changemakers/chelsea-griffie/https://sierraclub.typepad.com/explore/2012/05/rock-climber-chelsea-griffie-inspires-youth-to-get-outdoors.html Rosemary Saalhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cswlmshttps://sierraclub.typepad.com/explore/2013/03/qa-rosemary-saal-climber-denali.htmll Phil Hendersonhttps://www.instagram.com/phil_henderson/ Article for REI about finding your own summithttps://www.rei.com/blog/hike/summiting-at-17000-feet-my-climb-of-kilimanjaro-with-outdoor-afroAlekesam on Spotify

Stefanie is an ultra trail and road runner located in the Front Range of Colorado. She is the 2021 USATF 100-mile road champion and course record holder (6th fastest all-time American woman for the distance). She is also a foot and ankle surgeon alongside her husband, with a passion for treating athletes. Stefanie is passionate about increasing BIPOC representation in distance running and newly a member of the Lululemon FURTHER initiative cohort, which aims to address the data and research gap that exists in women's endurance running. She is the co-host of the Making Strides podcast which she describes as “a space to share our experiences as BIPOC female runners, as well as a space to discuss the nuances that come with our perspectives: safety, sponsorship and contract negotiations, mental health, current events in the running world and beyond.” In this episode we discuss how she started running 5k's with her dad as young as 7 years old, how her first 100 miler race ended in one of the biggest surprises of her life, as well as diving into her many passions. Our Debrief this episode features Victoria Lo the founder of Chinatown Runners who speaks about using the tools you have to make change and why drumming up support for Anti Asian American Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian issues (aka #STOPAAPIHATE) is so complicated and challenging, and important to keep doing. LINKS: Stef Flippin On Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/stefanieannflippin/ Stef Flippin Personal Websitehttps://www.stefanieflippin.com/ Lululemon Further Initiative https://shop.lululemon.com/story/run-further Girls On the Runhttps://www.girlsontherun.org/ Trent Stellingworth on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/TStellingwerff Diverse We Runhttps://www.instagram.com/diversewerun/ Making Strides Podcasthttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-strides/id1687742311 Chinatown Runnershttps://www.chinatownrunners.com/Film on Chinatown Runners directed by Faith E. Briggs and Tim Kemple of Camp4 Collectivehttps://vimeo.com/671273445

Ahmad Related Links: Lebanon Mountain Trailhttps://www.lebanontrail.org/home We Got Nexthttps://www.we-got-next.org/ Info on Dearbornhttps://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/how-dearborn-michigan-became-the-heart-of-arab-america-1.117177https://www.michiganradio.org/arts-culture/2014-07-09/what-explains-michigans-large-arab-american-community Debrief Guest: Maytha Alhassenhttps://maythaalhassen.com/about Key Terms with Dr. Maytha Alhassen — Feral Femme by Slow Factoryhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwKE6Qcmqwc Follow Maytha on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/maythaalhassen/