Fitness, Health & Spirit: Seeking Adventure and Spirit

August-September 2000

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.

by Maya Gislason

In a world where the environment is preyed upon by people, many who breathe the stale air of fitness clubs, corporate cubicles and shopping malls, there are people of all ages and walks of life, who are remembering and contem-porizing a counter notion of health and fitness. These people are taking to the outdoors. Clearly fitness in nature is not a new concept, but in the year 2000, it is becoming a matter of survival. Sharing this passion with others may not only help to save planet earth, it may also help to save oneself.

A crystal clear day on the west coast of Vancouver Island with West Coast Expeditions

I recently interviewed four women who clearly live their passion for adventure in the outdoors. I arrived customarily late at Adrienne's Tea House after a fast paced bicycle ride, and entered the restaurant trying to tame the sweat on my forehead as I scanned for the group. They were unmistakable: laughing and relaxed, most with bicycle helmets at their feet, even though I knew none of them lived nearby. I just hoped that they wouldn't ask me to guess who was seventy, because I couldn't tell.

Ranging from ages fifty to seventy, each summer these women and friends gather together to plan, train for and finally embark upon a wilderness adventure. They create these trips to challenge their bodies, minds and spirits. On these journeys the women work to discover new aspects of self, one another and new facets of the profound mystery and beauty of the earth.

Six years ago Edythe Barrie had breast cancer and realized that she wanted to challenge herself to create interesting experiences in her life while there was still time and physical ability. Edythe, along with her friend Thorine Goodall, planned and then invited other women to join them on a hike of the West Coast Trail. Among them was Ilse McCaw, retired nurse and veteran of wilderness adventures in unusual places, and Bev Sutton, who will be seventy in September and until last year hiked trips up to twenty days in the Rocky Mountains with her husband. By the end of the trip, these women had made a powerful bond after helping each other through the mud and sharing confidences about intimate and important details of their lives.

In 1998, the group traveled to Spring Island to embark on a Wilderness Women Kayaking trip. Carolyn Houg, an old friend of Edythe's as well as an artist, amateur naturalist and outdoor enthusiast, joined the group. Traveling from Vernon to join in the trip was Candis Eikerman. Candis was afraid of the ocean and a stranger not only to the others, but also to the experience of spending time with an all women group.

In our recent telephone interview, Candis said, "I took the trip because I had a deep respect for and a fear of the ocean. It was a personal challenge to see if I could fit into that world and into the group. I was scared during a lot of the trip. I knew I had to get centered. It was a real stretch, but I did it."

Most of the women had little or no kayaking experience but the group successfully traveled along the West Coast of Vancouver Island and then crossed over to the Bunsby Islands before making the return journey.

Bev explained that they had the full spectrum of West Coast weather, including rain and wind. She recalled one night when they all climbed into cold tents, knowing almost everything they had packed was soaking wet. Then their guides brought them hot tea and the optimistic message that they were all very lucky to have the full West Coast experience on their trip.

There was a round of good-hearted laughter and stories as the women spoke about their kayaking trip and how they came to have confidence upon the open ocean.

Edythe said, "It is different doing an activity where you are not dependent upon the strength of men. It makes it more challenging and makes you feel more like you have accomplished something, you are more independent. You have the satisfaction at the end of the day of knowing that you paddled your way through the waves."

Carolyn said, "It was the beauty, being in a place so pristine and where so few people have gone." And it really elevated her spirit during the trip.

By the end of lunch, they all agreed that kayaking was luxurious because you can dream, look around, appreciate the scenery and relax because "you don't need to watch your feet." It was a trip they would never forget. They added that all of their adventures made them feel physically stronger, and more ready, willing and able to embrace new challenges.

When asked why they are so physically active, Ilse explained that there is a great power, a certain notion of spirituality, that comes from knowing you "did it." She added, "An important difference between my life and my mother's is fitness."

Although each woman spoke about very different elements and people in their lives that helped them claim the time, energy and conviction to be physically fit and adventurous in the outdoors, they all stressed that life doesn't stop at fifty. Many older women believe that their age and gender precludes them from pursuing, or even imagining, a healthy physically active life. "Even though our kids think we are old, they are proud of us for doing all these different things", Edythe said.

These women are great role models for any seeker who harbours the desire to feel the strength of her body and spirit as she meets the challenge of the outdoors. Kayaking is an accessible form of fitness and source of pleasure for people of all ages, sizes and abilities. Adventure, as well as experiences of fear and success, are incredibly individualistic. The common denominator is a commitment to encounter 'self' in and through the natural world. As Candis said, "I am not a religious person, but when I am outdoors, I know I am part of something bigger, something wondrous. Everything is interconnected. If we all got out and connected with nature more, we would not only stop trying to destroy the earth, we would discover our own selves."

"There isn't one person who isn't looking for a challenge, for something else. If you are searching, you have to find it in yourself. Find your fears. Step into them, acknowledge that you are afraid, because through that challenge you will find yourself, you will grow", said Candis. At the end of our interview, we got on our bikes and bid each other farewell. I offered enthusiastic wishes for success on the group's trip this summer trip along the Kettle Valley Railway by bicycle. I rode away with a wish in my heart that all people will find a new inner conviction to face their fears and travel wisely into the unknown, and a hope that people discover pieces of their true selves this summer as they paddle the majesty of our coastal waters.

Maya Gislason is a student of Women's Studies and Sociology at the University of Victoria, and works summers as an assistant guide-often base camp coordinator for West Coast Expeditions, based on Spring Island.

West Coast Expeditions can be reached at 800-665-3040. Web: www.island.net/~nature ©