NEW BODY POSITIVE 4.5km EVENT FOR TRAIL FEST
We are excited to announce a new 'Body Positive 4.5k Stomp’ a Walk, skip, shuffle, jog, prance, strut or stompthat will be a new and important component of the upcoming Salomon Warburton Trail Fest taking place in the Warburton Valley, an hour and a half east of Melbourne, on 9, 10, 11 March 2019..
The Body Positive Stomp will be put on in partnership with Escaping Your Comfort Zone, a body positive women’s adventure organisation, with no focus on weightloss or fitness, who encourage women to have adventures in the body they are in.
The Escaping Your Comfort Zone Body Positive Stomp will be held on Saturday 9th March, at 9.45am.
Open to everyone (not just women), the Stomp will be supported by volunteer trail angels, creating a party at the back so no one comes last, and will specifically be non-timed/non-competitive. But all participants willing to get out and have a go on the 4.5km riverside path, leaving and returning to the Warburton Recreation Oval event HQ, will still be rewarded with a medal and wear a participant bib.
Escaping Your Comfort Zone Director and event host, Richelle Olsen (above, on the Stomp course) says the idea in launching the Body Positive Stomp is to encourage everyone out on to the trails regardless of fitness level, body shape, or level of experience.
“It’s about being part of something, enjoying the outdoors in a non-competitive, social environment, and introducing people to how warm and welcoming the trail running community can be - Warburton Trail Fest being one of the friendliest trail events going around!”
“If you are a plus size person of any gender, OR would like to have a go at a trail event without fear of judgement, OR scared of coming last, OR feel intimidated by all the super fit, speedy runners, OR are afraid that the finish line will be all packed up before you finish... Then this event is for YOU!”
“We wanted to create an environment that can be a comfortable space for people who feel they may not fit in with potentially intimidating outdoor activity groups or events, and create that space within the context of the entire trail community, rather than being separate from it.
Richelle describes herself as “an Aussie 30-something who is plus sized, but I’ve cycled nearly 5,000 kms from Canada to Mexico, hiked to Everest base camp, run a 25km mountain race in the Spanish Pyrenees, trekked the Inca Trail, scuba dived in oceans and freshwater caves around the world, raced over 20 triathlons, solo hiked the Queen Charlotte Track in NZ and had a whole lot of other adventures in between!”
“But I’m just an everyday woman, not overly fit, but I love the outdoors, and I want to inspire and support other plus-sized women to experience what I have, without limits. You don’t need to be fit, you don’t need to “look the part”, it doesn’t matter what size you are, all you need is a sense of adventure, and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone. ”
Richelle created Escaping Your Comfort Zone based on her notion that “the ONE THING that has made my experiences so absolutely unbelievable is DOING IT WITH OTHERS!. Having like-minded people to explore with, to take photos with, to share an awe inspiring view with, to tell you to take just a few more steps. And someone to share your tears when you achieve your goals. That’s the key to amazing experiences, and it’s the people that make you want to get out of bed in the morning and spend a few hours or a few weeks on the hiking trail! Or in this case, coming to Warburton Valley and enjoying a stunning river walk or run.”
YOU CAN ENTER THE ESCAPING YOUR COMFORT ZONE 4.5KM BODY POSITIVE STOMP HERE OR HIT THE BUTTON BELOW!