Thank you so much for visiting. I’m so happy to say that after many, many years of wanting to do “something”, Active Women is finally up and live.

The initial kernel of an idea was implanted during the 2002 Salt Lake City, UT Olympics . I remember being quite insulted (yes, I was insulted) at the displays of “celebrities” on the covers of high profile women’s athletic or sport oriented magazines. I kept asking myself throughout the year how it was possible that these magazines – the magazines promoting healthily living and being active – couldn’t manage to find 12 female athletes (or teams) to grace their covers over the course of an Olympic year. I didn’t understand it then and don’t understand it now.

I really don’t think I’m the only person that is inspired by Olympians. These are our every day people: friends, neighbours, family. These athletes typically work or are in school full time on top of their incredible training schedule. It’s always been inspiring to me and recently I’ve had my eyes open to Para-Olympians…WOW! Talk about dedication and heart.  And so Active Women continued to form:  there has to be amazingly fantastic women out there who just go about their day-to-day lives but who SHOULD be inspiring all of us.

The thought of starting a print magazine was quite daunting and so the concept of creating something online began to form.  I have purposely chosen to focus on outdoor activity for a few reasons:

1. Many outdoor activities require minimal cash investment: it’s accessible to almost everyone.
2. Although competition is available everywhere, most outdoor activities are less intimidating as you enter it at your own ability and aren’t necessarily competing with others.
3. There are greater health impacts associated with just being outdoors and when you combine the positive health affects of exercise with the solitude of a forest trail, you’re getting a double-whammy of awesomeness.
4. Being outside fosters greater environmental concern and care – yup! If we want to continue to play outside, we better take care of our natural environment.

As the years have gone by, I just assumed someone would eventually fill the void for athletic women within the magazine industry but it hasn’t really happened, although there are definitely some starting to crop up (Adventure Women magazine being one example…but it’s US based).  Did you know that I only just recently purchased the domain name “active women.ca”? How can that domain name still be available? It speaks to the void that exists to promote active women and I’m glad you’re here with me to share that interest.

Let’s start promoting and supporting those women who should be our role models. Let’s show our daughters and nieces the women we’re proud to call our friends, mentors, or inspiration. Let’s talk about what it means to have a family, a career, and still fit in outdoor activity.

So tell me:  Who (or what) inspires you to get outside?

My answer:  I could go on about how wonderful I feel when I do get out but the reality is, when it’s miserable weather or I’ve had a bad work day, what inspires me to get off my butt is my dog.  The joy I see in Shasta’s face always makes me smile and reminds me how much fun it is to be outside.  Her love for the outdoors is contagious and it always works.  When I come back in, no matter how rough of a day it’s been, I’m smiling.  That’s what happens outside:  you smile!