por Yoriko Richards Carreón

“Girls can be what they can see” is such an important concept. By opening up opportunities for ourselves, we also open doors of possibility for others.

I didn’t grow up with a life outdoors. I started exploring more when I was in college and living near the mountains. I fell in love with the wind, water, and tall pines. What started as once-a-month hikes slowly became weekly adventures. The outdoors healed me during a time when I felt a lot of anxiety and uncertainty in my life.

That love eventually led me to a job supporting outdoor programs. In many ways, that work healed something in me that I didn’t even realize needed attention. During my first week, I attended my very first women of color snowshoe hike.

I was scared and intimidated. What if I can’t keep up? What if they realize I don’t know what I’m doing? What if… and the thoughts kept going. I came into the event already imagining reasons to cancel.

Everything changed once we started walking and talking.

Every woman there was experiencing snowshoeing for the first time too. That immediately made me feel more comfortable with my own fears. If I was going to be scared, I could still do it scared. The staff was knowledgeable, encouraging, and made sure we felt safe and supported.

There was so much joy in watching people experience snowshoeing, or even the outdoors in community, for the first time. So much laughter, learning, and warmth. Watching everyone else shifted my mindset. Trying new things didn’t have to feel so intimidating.

That experience inspired me to keep pushing myself to try new outdoor activities. Now I trail run, backpack, and camp. All things that once felt intimidating are now part of my regular yearly rhythm.

A couple of years ago, I shared this story during a Latina meetup. Right away, people started asking me for tips, places to go, and how to get started outdoors. That was the moment I realized how powerful representation can be. By getting past my own fears and opening doors for myself, I could help make the outdoors feel less intimidating for someone else too.

I always say: you never know who is watching, who is being inspired, or who needed to see someone like them in a space they once felt they didn’t belong in.

Sometimes simply showing up is enough to help someone else believe they can too.