The outdoors is the playground where I feel most me. Instilled as a kid letter boxing on Dartmoor, my love of wild places has given me challenges, confidence and resilience but also brought me comfort, freedom and peace in difficult times.
Whether a short, gentle countryside bimble or a multi-day trek at high altitude, getting outside helps keep me calm, grounded and connected to the beauty of the natural world in a life frequently too full of screens and busyness.
I was lucky to grow up navigating the moors and wild camping thanks to Duke Of Edinburgh and Ten Tors, but it wasn’t until my forties that I tried triathlon, paddle boarding, wild swimming, ultra running, surfing… with mixed levels of success and enjoyment! And there’ll be new types of outdoor fun yet to be found into my fifties and beyond. It’s never too late to discover what messing about outside can do for you.
Sonja McCoy
