Growing up in an emotionally abusive household, Meg Atteberry yearned for her parents’ approval. But no matter how hard she tried, the message was always the same: you are not enough. The emotional scars from her upbringing lingered long into adulthood.
Then one day, Meg took a dangerous fall while rock climbing.
The brush with death resulted in fresh trauma. But in the aftermath of the accident, something surprising started to happen.
On this episode, Meg shares the story of how a freak accident changed her relationship with climbing, and with her parents.
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Dierdre Wolownick is the oldest woman to have climbed El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. She’s also a teacher, a musician, a marathon runner — and the mother of renowned rock climber Alex Honnold.
On this episode, we talk with Dierdre about what it was like raising a kid like Alex.
We discuss her efforts to keep Alex safe as a child, without stifling his love for climbing. We talk about the difference between risk and consequence. And we explore Dierdre’s own journey to becoming a climber, and how learning about her son’s passion changed their relationship.
Black Lives Matter.
The events that have been unfolding over the past few weeks have made it very clear that all of us need to be doing much more to actively fight racism. One of the ways that Out There can help is to use our platform to amplify the voices of Black, Indigenous and People of Color.
The outdoors should be a place where anyone can go, without fearing violence, harassment, or discrimination.
On this episode, we talk about what we, as a podcast, commit to doing, to become part of the solution rather than adding to the problem.
The events that have been unfolding across the United States over the past weeks have driven home once again that simply existing carries risks if you have dark skin.
Many of us like to think that nature is an equalizer — a place to escape the injustices of society. But it’s not so simple.
On this bonus episode, producer Jackie Sojico bring you a story that first aired several years ago. It’s about ornithologist and birder Drew Lanham and his quest to pursue his passion outdoors as a POC.