The World Needs to Hear YOUR Story: Here’s Why and How to Start | See Her Outside Podcast
Storytelling is a key element in closing the gender gap, outdoors and in. But it’s not always easy to speak up!
We’ve spoken lately with women who’ve said:
“I’m not an elite athlete. Why would anyone care about my story?”
“There are people doing cooler adventures than me, so mine isn’t a big deal.”
“If I put myself out there and speak up, people will think I’m silly.”
On the See Her Outside Podcast, Angie shares a heart-to-heart for any woman who loves the outdoors but is hesitant to turn up the volume on their own voice.
On the See Her Outside Podcast, Angie talks about:
How YOU sharing your story can change the world
Why we need diverse perspectives and voices in the outdoors, from trip reports to scholarships
When Angie realized that her personal adventures could positively impact the outdoor community
Countering the common mindset traps that women face when sharing their stories
Visibility isn’t the same as vanity
Finding your voice and mining for personal stories
How The Cairn Project can support you as you begin to share your stories
Send this episode to a friend who you believe has an amazing story that the world needs to hear.
transcript:
Hello friends, Angie here—coming at you solo today with a bit of a heart-to-heart. Or a call to action. Or maybe even a little bit of a rant, for any woman who loves the outdoors.
This episode is about something I care deeply about—not just as someone who works in storytelling and hosts the See Her Outside podcast, but also as someone who is still learning how to share her own story.
We see this a lot at The Cairn Project and the Summit Scholarship Foundation. We have women, girls, and gender-diverse adventurers who have an incredible story in their heart—but they hold themselves back from sharing it. From turning up the volume on their own story.
So if you've ever thought:
“Who wants to hear from me anyway?”
“I’m not outdoorsy enough, or elite enough, or fast enough, or polished enough to share my story…”
Oh, then this episode is for you. I need you to turn it up—full volume—because we’re going to talk about why your story matters, maybe even how you can start finding it, and how it’s not just okay to share—it’s a radical and necessary act to help close the gender gap outdoors and inside.
I’m Angie, and this is See Her Outside, brought to you by The Cairn Project and the Summit Scholarship Foundation. We share stories of women, girls, and gender-diverse adventurers to promote belonging and visibility in nature. We hope this story inspires you to advocate for a more inclusive outdoors.
What’s at Stake If We Don’t Share Our Stories
Let’s talk about what’s at stake if we don’t share our stories—if we don’t let our voices be heard or speak up about our outdoor experiences.
The outdoor world becomes an echo chamber. Or maybe it stays that way.
We keep getting the same types of voices. The same definitions of adventure. The same assumptions about who belongs outside. And those voices? They often aren’t women. They’re not people of color, LGBTQ+ folks, or people with disabilities. They’re not people who grew up thinking, “Nature isn’t for someone like me.”
We need to diversify the stories being shared—in media, in living rooms, and in conversations with friends. If we don’t step up and speak our honest stories, then the loudest people will keep narrating what the outdoors should look like. And that doesn’t serve us—or future adventurers.
Avalanche Observations and Data as Storytelling
Here’s a specific example of when I realized this.
I took my AIARE 1 avalanche course—an all-women’s course I got a scholarship for (thank you, Summit Scholarship Foundation). During that course, they emphasized the need for women to submit snow condition observations.
Your local avalanche center probably has a forum where you can post about conditions, what you noticed—avalanches, snowpack, etc.
The problem? Most reports on avalanche centers are written by demographically similar men.
But if we diversify snow observations—even that very specific example—it means we’re collecting more perspectives. That helps us understand avalanche risk better. It can potentially save lives.
I see storytelling the same way.
The more perspectives we have about the outdoors—what it means to adventure, how the wilderness changes us—the more awareness we’ll have about why we need all types of people in nature. Especially in spaces where they feel safe and empowered to speak up.
When I Shared a Trip Report That Mattered
In 2022, I climbed five Cascade volcanoes as part of an adventure fundraiser with The Cairn Project. I decided to write a trip report on my blog—just pictures and reflections from the day. A lot of those climbs were with a group of female friends, so the vibe was, “How can we support each other through this?”
Honestly, I didn’t think anyone would read them.
But not only did people read those posts—I got donations from strangers across the country. People I would never meet. Because Google was literally pushing them to my little blog, and the stories helped them plan their own Mt. Adams or Mt. Rainier climbs.
At the bottom of the post, I’d written: “If this was helpful, donate to my fundraiser.”
And they did.
Visibility Isn’t Vanity
Write this down:
Representation does not expand without new voices.
When women don’t tell their stories, the narrative stays skewed. And it’s not going to magically diversify. We have to show up, one story at a time.
But even knowing that—it’s still scary.
So let’s talk about the mindset traps that hold us back:
“People won’t take me seriously.”
“Talking about myself is narcissistic.”
“I didn’t get a good photo or reel—so it’s not worth sharing.”
“Other people have cooler adventures. Mine’s not unique enough.”
“I want it to be about equity, not me.”
Sound familiar?
These aren’t personal flaws. These are trained fears. We’ve been socialized to stay small, to be humble, to not make things “about us.”
But listen: Visibility isn’t vanity. It’s how change starts.
A Small Story That Made a Big Change
I once shared this on another podcast.
When I was training for my 100-mile race in 2024, my training plan left little notes every day. One of them—during taper week—said:
“Cut your calories by 20% during taper. You’ll probably gain weight.”
That comment made me spiral—for the first time in a long time. My friend, training for the same race, felt the same way. We’d both struggled with food stuff in the past, and we thought we were long past it.
But that comment?
It stuck.
Eventually, I emailed the training plan creators. I told them how it made me feel. I was terrified they’d call me a sensitive special snowflake.
But to their credit, they replied with one of the best customer service emails I’ve ever received. They validated me. They agreed the comment was problematic. And they promised to remove it from all future plans.
That ripple effect stuck with me. I’m just an ordinary runner. But that small story? It made a big difference.
How to Start Mining for Your Own Story
A story isn’t just what happened. A story is how what happened changed you.
Ask yourself:
What surprised you outdoors?
What cost you something—emotionally, physically, or energetically?
What memory keeps coming back, years later?
What moment subtly shifted how you view the world?
Your Everest might be someone else’s Tuesday—and vice versa.
How The Cairn Project Can Help
You can start small:
Leave a voice note.
Write a trip report or snow observation.
Make a “story dump” doc in Google Drive.
Write a post and tag The Cairn Project.
Our Trailblazer program helps you turn your next adventure into a fundraiser. We support your story and your fundraising.
Plus, we’ve launched Trail Talks—free online learning sessions. Our latest one was about pitching brands to sponsor your adventure.
And of course, this podcast is one of those tools too.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need a gold medal photo or a reel that goes viral.
You don’t need a sponsorship deal.
You just need a story that’s true.
Because someone out there needs to hear it.
Thanks for being here. Let’s keep using our outside voice.
Support the Mission:
Apply to be a Trailblazer → www.cairnproject.org
Learn about the Summit Scholarship Foundation → www.summitscholarship.org
Share this podcast with a friend!
Credits:
See Her Outside is hosted by Angie Marie.
Edited by Alyson Castonguay.
Research by Danielle Peecher.