She Explores

Kara Richardson Whitely is the author of Gorge, a memoir about her climb up Mount Kilimanjaro and her lifelong experience with binge eating disorder, the most common (but least talked about) eating disorder. Kara's proud to be part of a growing community of plus-size adventurers, while simultaneously acknowledging that her relationship with food and her body is forever unfolding.

Verna is Navajo, a mother of four, and days away from running a 50-mile ultra run. She started running after having her second child 12 years ago. Hear about Verna's journey as a runner and how it’s underlined her resilience as a person. Now she's bringing native women together by uplifting their running journeys, too.

Chi Pham wants you to know that you can fuel your body for success as an outdoor athlete, and it doesn't have to fit in the little boxes you see on social media.

Katt Greaser shares her experience on a recent caving trip to Scapegoat Wilderness area in Montana, and encourages you to try the sport, too.

With the help of listeners and Backpacking 101 author Heather Balogh Rochfort, we share stories of first-time backpackers, as well as advice to get you started. Whether you're a seasoned backpacker or a beginner, there's inspiration and a little trail magic (not the thru-hiking kind) to be found in this episode.

Sometimes the hardest thing isn’t running an ultra marathon or topping out at a climbing competition, it’s showing up for yourself in small ways, taking a step back and figuring out what you need so you can figure out who you are. For a long time, Emilee Struss identified as a climber and an endurance runner. Persistent injuries have made her dig into the hard work of self-love.

Sara Wolman is an interpretive park ranger for US Fish and Wildlife in King Salmon, Alaska. Find out how she's building a career, fostering community, and raising a young child in the rolling tundra, and what you can do to help gather valuable scientific data to help tell the story of environmental change.

How can you do what you love without losing yourself in the process? Putting your voice out there can be a very vulnerable thing: just take it from Outside Voices podcast host Sarah Shimazaki. We talk about the very real struggle of how to balance work, passion, and your own wellbeing.

Conservation photographer Krista Schlyer describes the almost 2,000-mile border between the US and Mexico as a vibrant landscape teeming with life. Raising awareness for its biodiversity has become an integral part of her life’s work and is the focus of a new documentary film she directed, Ay Mariposa, which came out in May.

Sharlene Jones is allergic to exercise (literally) but because hiking feels like home, fear of what could happen isn't enough to keep her from hitting the trail. Instead, she's developed a familiarity with her body that makes it possible to keep moving forward. It's hard to say what the bigger challenge from the universe was: the exercise-induced anaphylaxis or winning the lottery to hike Mount Whitney after being diagnosed. Either way, Sharlene Jones is not one to back down from a challenge.