People of the Outdoors is my latest series whereby I acknowledge those individuals who are inspired and motivated to spend their lives in the Great Outdoors.

This written series forms a selection of personal interviews and imagery taken from these dedicated individuals who share their story.

Introduce Yourself

Hi. My name is Lindsey and I’m a Londoner born and bred. I worked for many years in the drinks industry before having a complete career change and joining an animal charity. It’s not often you can say you’ve been paid both to drink wine and cuddle cats :)

Now, when I’m not running my own pet sitting business, I’m invariably outdoors. I’m currently trying to walk all 16 of Britain’s National Trails (6 down, 10 more to go!) so that takes up most of my spare time. Not that I’m complaining: I’m always happiest somewhere up a mountain or in a muddy field.

Where is your Outdoor Playground?

The National Trails extend all over England and Wales (Scotland has its own separate network of long-distance trails) so my playground’s become quite large these days! It’s one of the things I’ve enjoyed most about this walking project – the chance to explore my home country.  I don’t think I’d fully appreciated how lovely the UK is and how varied its landscape. We may be small, but we pack an awful lot into this little island.

What activities do you like to do in the outdoors? And why does this mean so much to you?

I’ve tried very hard to enjoy cycling and for a while was a passionate runner, but in the end, I always come back to walking. There’s just something about putting one foot in front of the other and taking in the world that “works” for me.  I love the physical challenge of a 30 miler or steep mountain climb but mentally too, it’s a fantastic work-out: any significant hike always involves a huge amount of planning, mapping the route, organising equipment, sorting out the logistics. As Shane O’Mara talks about in his brilliant book “In Praise of Walking”, there are so many benefits we’re only just beginning to understand.

I always carry my camera, even on multi-day hikes where I inevitably end up regretting the extra weight.  It’s partly about capturing memories – I’ve seen so many beautiful places on my travels – but as a solo hiker, it also helps with loneliness. The photos give me something to share with my non-hiker family and friends.

What inspires you and motivates you to spend time in the outdoors?

Being outdoors has always been about freedom for me. There’s the literal freedom of walking alone, miles from anywhere, with nothing but the birds for company but there’s also mental freedom. The trail doesn’t care how you look, what you earn, where you’re from.  

When I was growing up, I was hugely inspired by Ffyona Campbell, the first woman to walk (almost!) around the world*. The idea that all you had to do was put on a pair of shoes and the world could be yours was a complete revelation to me. For a long time, I also wanted to have a “Big Adventure®” but for one reason or another, it never happened. Life kept getting in the way. So when Alistair Humphreys came along with “Micro-Adventures” and said it’s ok, sleeping in a field can be an adventure too, it made me realise adventure is everywhere. You just have to get outside to find it.  

I’m also now a volunteer warden for the North Downs Way. With limited government funding the trails are heavily dependent on volunteers for their survival. Wardens help to maintain agreed stretches of the trail, walking them regularly throughout the year, picking up litter and monitoring their condition. The National Trails have given me so much, it seemed only right that I should also give them something back in return; and as the first National Trail I completed, the North Downs Way has always been particularly dear to my heart.

 What has been your biggest challenge?

If you spend enough time outdoors, you’re bound to have a few adventures. I’ve ended up in full hiking gear on a nudist beach and have myself stripped down to my undies and a pair of diamanté flip-flops to cross a flooded section of South West Coast Path. Fortunately, it was very early in the morning so I didn’t give too many other walkers a fright!

However, lockdown has been by far and away, the biggest challenge I’ve faced.  As well as the reduction in physical activity, the mental loss of the outdoors hit me very hard.  I think like many hikers, there’s always been an element of “therapy” to my hiking, a means of getting away from it all, including myself; and it came as a real shock to realise I no longer had the freedom to enjoy this beautiful country. If there’s been one positive to come out of all this, it’s that I’ll never take the hills and mountains and our right to roam for granted again.

Can you describe your perfect day out?

It would have to be a day’s hiking in the far north-west of Scotland. Here, everything seems to have space to breathe. It’s home to much of the UK’s last true wilderness and some of its most majestic peaks. I’d perhaps climb Suilven and spend the night wild camping at the summit or else, be trekking the Cape Wrath Trail, rightly considered Britain’s finest walk. I’ve done a few individual sections but would love to walk it all as a continuous hike.

If you could go on any adventure where would you go?

I adore cold countries which always makes for “interesting” holiday conversations with my sun-loving Aussie husband! I’m lucky enough to have spent quite a bit of time in Iceland and hope one day to see Greenland but the place I really want to visit is Antarctica. As well as its staggering beauty, it’s hard not to be inspired by the heroism of the place and the tales of the great explorers: Shackleton, Scott, Amundsen. Most importantly, it’s got penguins. What’s not to love?

Finally, can you give the readers a motivational quote for others to follow and be inspired by?

Little by little, one travels far.

Thanks, Lindsey

Once again, I have managed to compile another informative blog post and the third in this particular outdoors series.

On completion of this interview, I want to extend a big thank you to Lindsey for her positive contribution towards all things outdoors and of course this particularly interview, on what the outdoors means to her.

Lindsey has described some of her wonderful adventures and I’m sure that she will have many more to come, in the future.

Continue to enjoy exploring, adventuring and challenging yourself in everything you do.

#peopleoftheoutdoors

You can also find more People of the Outdoors by clicking here.