Like every good millennial in the outdoor or bike industry, we wake up each day feeding the contradiction that is our existence. A sentiment that is both hyperbole and also not, because ultimately, each of us participating in the thing we love is sort of squashing the thing we love. Dramatic yet true: each ride, each product, every social post is celebrating the outdoors while also killing it.
I’m not a scientist, geologist, biologist, economist, or any other kind of “-ist” with data-driven credentials on the future of our planet. But I am a professional athlete and environmental advocate — someone who spends most of her days outside and cares deeply about keeping those places wild and intact. So, in recognition of Earth Day, I wanted to share a reflection on the paradox of living a life outdoors that ultimately harms the outdoors — and how I try to navigate the tension between loving it and preserving it.
