Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty
Special offer: Receive 8 issues for just £9.99!
SUBSCRIBE
News

Endurance athlete Sophie Radcliffe is blazing a trail for London girls

The fitness blogger wants young women to tell anxiety and body insecurities to take a hike

Sophie Radcliffe

Fitness blogger and public speaker Sophie Radcliffe is getting girls into the outdoors. In partnership with the Youth Sport Trust, her organisation TrailBlazers uses the transformative power of outdoor adventure to tackle poor mental health in teenage girls across London and Kent. As well as a series of workshops and talks given by Radcliffe, the programme culminates in an adventure camp where the girls are challenged to put everything they learned into practice.

“The outdoors is the most incredible place to challenge yourself and learn about who you are, to test yourself against nature,” says Radcliffe, 33.

“I really struggled with body confidence growing up, but once I started working outdoors I realised I don’t need to look like girls in magazines because my body can go and climb mountains, it can do marathons. It’s really powerful to give a young woman access to that kind of thinking.”

The TrailBlazers programme also takes time to show people what outdoor space is available for free in their local area, understanding that many would never have had the opportunity to go exploring.
Disadvantaged teenage girls are less likely to have been involved in sports, too, so they’re encouraged to take advantage of the adventure and test out their hiking skills. 

TrailBlazers is now on a quest for funding to roll the programme out to more schools, and to allow Radcliffe to develop a similar programme for boys, for which there is high demand.

Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty
Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty

“Forget your job or your Instagram followers,” Radcliffe continues. “When you’re climbing a mountain, nature doesn’t care about any of those things. All that matters is who you are when things get tough.”

Many of the 100 girls Radcliffe has worked with so far had never left London before, the founder explains, and some were “genuinely blown away” by their first sight of the sea or a sunrise.

To learn about more pioneering organisations giving marginalised people access to the outdoors, pick up a copy of this week’s Big Issue from your local vendor.

Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty

Never miss an issue

Take advantage of our special New Year subscription offer. Subscribe from just £9.99 and never miss an issue.

Recommended for you

View all
Rough sleeping a 'source of national shame', government told
Big Issue founder Lord John Bird at a rough sleeping inquiry
Rough sleeping

Rough sleeping a 'source of national shame', government told

Brits feel just as poor and miserable as they did last year. When will things get better?
Britain

Brits feel just as poor and miserable as they did last year. When will things get better?

Most Brits don't realise you can be homeless without sleeping rough
homelessness
Homelessness

Most Brits don't realise you can be homeless without sleeping rough

More than 1.4 million homes with planning permission left unbuilt, report finds
houses in England
Housing

More than 1.4 million homes with planning permission left unbuilt, report finds

Most Popular

Read All
Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits
Renters: A mortgage lender's window advertising buy-to-let products
1.

Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal
Pound coins on a piece of paper with disability living allowancve
2.

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over
next dwp cost of living payment 2023
3.

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over

Strike dates 2023: From train drivers to NHS doctors, here are the dates to know
4.

Strike dates 2023: From train drivers to NHS doctors, here are the dates to know