International Womens Day is a great chance to reflect on the amazing women in our lives!

I am very fortunate to have a life where I feel free to pursue my dreams and can live where and how I want. This is something not everyone has and I definitely don’t take it for granted that I had an easy upbringing and supportive family.

Growing up I was very fortunate to have parents who didn’t push any gender stereotypes onto myself or my sister - sure we had our dolls to play with, but we also were welcomed in the garage to help Dad work on cars, or to try building things with the scrap wood we found laying around. We were given RC monster trucks, telescopes and bikes for Christmas and were always encouraged to play and explore. I was given free rein to be who I wanted to be which I will be forever grateful for (though I do often wish my parents hadn’t let me chop literally all of my hair off in grade 3…)

It’s no real wonder that I’ve grown into a confident adult who loves to try new things - with a mum like mine you learn that it’s always a good time to try something new. When I was in high school we both signed up to belly dancing classes just to do something different, and later we tried pole dancing together which we both loved so much we continued (I still love finding pole fitness and dance classes along our travels to take part in). My parents fill their weeks with hiking, kayaking, archery, car racing, bouldering and cycling - just to name a few hobbies! Mum and I share so many interests, it’s always a treat to catch up with them and share our current plans and adventures.

I take inspiration from women around me and have truly amazing friends. Some are mums, some are adventurers, some probably couldn’t find matching socks this morning and I love them all for their individual personalities! A real moment of female empowerment for me recently was an all-girls climbing trip to Sisters Beach, Tasmania. It was a diverse group who had met through the climbing and bouldering scenes in Launceston and we had a weekend of camping, card games, snacks and some serious climbing. Everyone climbed their hardest and really did their best, creating the most amazing vibe that I’ll be recounting for years to come.

These are just a few ways that I appreciate and admire the women in my life - really I don’t think there are enough words to truly express how I feel. So happy International Womens Day to all of you crushers, slaydies and warriors!