Nicole Kimani - Class of August 2021
I barely played any sports in school, and I was the quintessential nerdy introvert, who preferred staying indoors instead of playing 'Bano', 'Brikicho', Stuck in the mud' or heaven forbid, 'Cha Mama na Cha Baba.' 🙈
Fast forward to adulthood, and I started making small intentional steps toward self-awareness, healing, and self-re-discovery. It is in this journey that I grieved the childhood I wished I had but didn't have in all aspects.
I made many resolutions throughout that journey — I still am — and one of them was not to let my past determine what my future would look like. That, just because I did not grow up outdoorsy, liberal, or confident, it didn't mean that that would be my forever story.
So I started being more outdoorsy, liberal, and confident. I solo-traveled, co-founded a business, moved from home, and then I started talking about how I want to start hiking. As fate would have it, the #beginnertomtkenya program caught my eye.
Taking the leap to being part of the program is something I will never regret. Hiking the trails every fortnight proved to me that I could change the narrative of my past — and getting to Point Lenana was all I needed to remind myself that I am one rad chic! 😄
I'll forever be indebted to The Outdoorer team, who prepared us exceptionally well and facilitated the conquering of self on each mountain. I will also be forever grateful for the hiking buddies I made on the trails—they all made the journey so much worth it!
To continuously changing narratives and conquering of self! 🥂