Woman gone wild outdoors

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Lesley Long has had an eventful 53 years on the planet so far. She grew up in Scotland and North Wales and has always been interested in the outdoors. However she was denied an Outward Bound course at school – being the wrong sex and not being able to afford the fee – and the fact that “During the 1970s girls were not encouraged to do ‘unladylike’ outdoor activities and my parents were no exception,” Lesley explains. “The emphasis was on getting a good education then marrying and having a family.”

Lesley lived in a village North Wales as a teenager without a lot of company of her own age, so she went walking a lot on her own. “I have always found being outside whether walking, kayaking or cycling lifts my spirits, gives me space to think and offers a different perspective on problems I may be worrying about.” Lesley says. “My body always feels better after I’ve taken exercise in the fresh air.”

Once she left school Lesley lived and worked in France for a while before coming back to the UK to take a law degree at the University of Southampton in 1976.

However, once she had the degree under her belt, she realised that she wasn’t cut out to be a solicitor or barrister. “I decided I wanted to work in the service sector and entered local government with Hampshire County Council,” she tells us. “I studied for a Diploma in Management Studies and became a Personnel and Training Officer.”

She left local government in 1984 and started her own training and development consultancy, ‘Potential Unlimited’, delivering training in management, customer care, interpersonal skills and personal development to public and private sector clients.

Lesley got married in 1990, and had her daughter in 1991, however, her husband left her for her work colleague and she was left alone with her baby daughter, her own business and the prospect of unexpected single parenthood. “I was 38 - it was not in the game plan!,” Lesley tells us.

“Terrified at prospect of single motherhood, I decided to take time out to face my fears and I looked for an Outward Bound course for women only. There was no such thing around, so I joined a week-long personal development mixed group programme at Outward Bound Trust at Aberdovey.

“We went on an expedition, climbed a mountain, camped on the top and watched the dawn rise in the morning. We kayaked, went climbing, did a high-wire trapeze jump and went gorge walking. It was exhausting, hugely empowering and the best bit apart from the support and encouragement for even the smallest of our achievements was discovering that I could do this at 38! I was also very inspired by the oldest person in our group; Sheila who at 54 was a widow trying to get her life back on track.”

After a family adventure activity holiday to France when she was 48, Lesley realised that not only was the physical outdoor experience inspiring, the mutual support and encouragement the women got from each other, together with a sense of personal achievement was huge. “I realised that the dynamics of an all-women group, with its shared experience, fun, support and encouragement and without a need to compete really helped all of us.”

“I decided there and then I would train to become an outdoor leadership instructor in order to get more women of 30+ involved in outdoor adventure in a way that works for them.”

Lesley divorced her second husband in 2006 and now lives alone with her Yorkshire terrier, Millie aka The Wild Dog, in a Welsh farmhouse in beautiful mid Wales. “This is the Wild Women HQ and my vision is for it to be a gathering space for like-minded women who know that there is more to life than shoes!,” she explains.

Go Wild Outdoors Ltd was formed in January 2008. It is a member of the Institute of Outdoor Learning (the lead body for quality in outdoor learning).

“My market research revealed that there are very few programmes designed with the particular needs and concerns of women in mind, especially more mature women who for various reasons may not have had the opportunity to experience outdoor adventure when they were younger and who would like the chance to stretch themselves a little now. Our motto is: Go Wild with us and still wear your lippy!

“We want our clients to enjoy a special mix of outdoor adventure, fresh air, pampering and wind-down time and to form lasting friendships. We grade our adventure break Easy, Moderate and Challenging. Most fall in the first two categories. I am trying to make outdoor adventure accessible to as many women as possible.”

Women who take part in Women Go Wild breaks are often:

• Single mothers taking a break to do something on their own in the company of other women and reclaim their own identity
• Women wanting to celebrate their long standing friendships together
• Ladies wanting a getaway break or a hen party with a difference – combining outdoor activity with pampering, wine and chocolate
• Women who’ve been bereaved, whose children have left home or who may just be wondering what to do next in their lives for whom we offer a relatively risk-free but very different space for them to explore their options
• Several of the wild women are breast cancer survivors or are living with terminal illness. They’ve discovered that being a ‘Wild Woman’ enables them to do things they wouldn’t otherwise be able to do. They can have a go at something completely different with the support of other women without their illness or their loss of femininity being a hindrance. In short they can just be themselves.

“I am the driving force behind my business,” says Lesley. “However, I have a team of wonderful wild women volunteers who support me with the administration, marketing and event organisation. These are women who have come on board after courageously overcoming their own life challenges. They get a buzz from outdoor adventure and are an invaluable source of laughter, creativity and support.

“Setting up the business has been hugely demanding of my time, energy and my own financial resources. Like many small business owners during 2009 I have had huge moments of doubt and regularly wonder if I have bitten off more than I can chew. However, I have met so many wonderful women through networking face to face and online and the response to what I’m doing has been so positive - I just have to keep going.

“I feel passionately about creating opportunities for women to experience adventure, have fun and invest in “Me Time” on their own terms. Most women have too much to do and too little time to do it. Going outdoors really helps with our mental health and a sense of wellbeing. I believe that building adventure into our lives makes us better at juggling our roles of mother, wife, partner, carer, friend, employer or employee. Certainly – it’s what does it for me.”

When Lesley is not running adventure breaks she works virtually from the farmhouse running my other business; Your Virtual Organiser.

For further information, details of activities and prices, contact Go Wild Outdoors Ltd. tel: 0845 095 8486, email: info@womengowildoutdoors.com, www.womengowildoutdoors.com

Tags: Inspirational Women