We protect what we love

FRIDAY . 28 . 05 . 21 .

Hello, hello!

My name is Johnny Abegg and I’m stoked to be the host of this

week’s newsletter. 

I am a surfer at heart. Running came into my field of vision almost three years ago. I’m a father of three young kids, and surfing alone couldn’t sustain a good level of health and fitness for me anymore. The 'Dad windows' to get out and about were shortened to one hour of surf power, so a small spare tyre appeared around the waistline. 

A good friend of mine, Samuel Smith introduced me to low-intensity endurance running. I’d always despised the gasping nature of high-intensity running, which is mostly what I previously endured, with my last decent run being back in high school (and that sucked). Samuel and I started slow, and before I knew it I was weaving through all the sneaky trails around Byron Bay, from 5kms to 8kms, to 10kms, then beyond. I’d found a new meditation for my mental health and general wellbeing. 

I wouldn’t call myself a Trail Runner… or maybe I should, you tell me? Since doing the Takayna Trail a couple of times, I do really love running for a cause. I also co-run a Not-For-Profit called Surfers for Climate (SFC), so the environment and protecting wild places is the number one deal for me. Through SFC, we’ve been able to get a whole bunch of surfers “trading tubes for trails”.

Personally, 20km’s is a bit of a sweet spot, but maybe one day I’ll attempt a longer one. I still don’t like cooking myself too much. The disconnect from the ‘daily do’s’ at home is mostly why I run. I grew up in Tasmania until I was 15, so the open spaces and solitude is where I belong. 

Running has allowed me to connect with that child within, and I feel it has given me a new passion as I roll through my 40’s. 

I'm aware that the team at FWP love sharing inspirational reads, podcasts, movements etc. with you, so I’m going to jump on that bandwagon. Here is my shortlist of Friday inspirational goodness:

A GOOD READ

“Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens

I received this book from a friend for my 40th birthday last year. The story goes like this - For years, rumours of the “Marsh Girl” haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet fishing village. Kya Clark is barefoot and wild; unfit for polite society. So in late 1969, when the popular Chase Andrews is found dead, locals immediately suspect her...

The writing by Delia Owens really took me on a journey into the feminine. I’ve never read a book where I felt so connected to what it’s like to be a woman and the connection to nature that Kyla, the main character has. It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read, and creates a wonderful emotion connection to the wilds, in which we all are a part of.

You can purchase the book via your local bookstore.

A GOOD LISTEN

The Waterpeople podcast

Emotion is what I connect to in life. Surfers Lauren Hill and Dave Rastovich have created a wonderful podcast of inspiring characters and conversations through storytelling. It’s an inclusive and diverse listen from all kinds of water people, but I feel that oceanic connection translates into trail running. I love that they begin each episode with a simple question: “Tell us about a time or experience after which you were never the same…”

You can learn more about the creators, and tune into episodes

via their website.

A CAMPAIGN I SUPPORT

Groundswell

Groundswell is a community of people who know the climate crisis has arrived, and that it’s up to every one of us to actively be part of the solution. 

I’ve been a paying member of Groundswell for a couple of years now, due to climate action in Australia being so underfunded. Environmental and climate philanthropy receives less than 0.5% of all charitable giving each year.

You can check out what they're doing on their website or follow them on Instagram.

FINAL WORDS FROM THE FWP TEAM

100km ultramarathon tragedy in Gansu province, China

We were shocked and saddened to hear of the tragedy that took place in a 100km ultramarathon in Gansu province, China, on Saturday 22 May 2021, which resulted in the unprecedented and devastating loss of 21 lives.

Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those who have lost loved ones. We extend these thoughts to all participants, organisers, volunteers, supporters, and local communities who have also been impacted by this devastating event.

We recognise that this is the largest tragedy to hit our sport, and we stand in solidarity with the wider trail running community in offering our sincere condolences and support.

With winter approaching in Australia, we encourage all runners and outdoor adventure enthusiasts to take extra safety precautions, including letting people know where you are going, carrying a safety beacon (or requesting a safety beacon from a local police station), and carrying additional warm clothing.

The team at Trail Hiking Australia, have some great articles on safety, self care and planning, which we encourage all outdoor enthusiasts to familiarise themselves with. The Australian Hiker website also has informaiton about the impact of weather on hiking.

National Sorry Day

We recognise that Wednesday 26 May was National Sorry Day. We remember the Stolen Generations, and the human rights abuses against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples forcibly removed from their families, communities and culture by government policy.

We pay tribute to their ongoing strength and resilience, and we stand in solidarity with First Nations peoples, families and communities.

We are Explorers article "How climate change is already affecting adventures, and what you can do about it"

In case you missed Tuesday's Instagram post, we want to let you know about this great We Are Explorers article, written by FWP team member and all-round exceptional human, Morwenna Jones.

The article explores how climate change is affecting the wild places we love to recreate in. MJ speaks to a bunch of inspiring people, including Helene de Lagillardaie from Outward Bound, Yolander Waters from Divers for Climate, Patagonia Ambassador Heath Joske, Australian trail-runner Lucy Bartholomew and our very own team member Elanor Finch (that's me!), who have all stepped up to tackle the issue head on.

Check out the article to hear more about Australian initiatives working to preserve our iconic and fragile oceans, rivers, forests and deserts.

Have a wonderful weekend folks, and for those in Victoria, hang in there.

And as always, thank you for taking the time for wild places 🙏🏼

Johnny, Elanor & the For Wild Places crew.

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We acknowledge the the First Nations people who have been custodians of land, waters and culture for tens of thousands of years. We pay respects to First Nations Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge the Arakwal people the traditional custodians of Bundjalung nation,

the lands where this newsletter was written, and the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, where this newsletter was collated.

Always was, always will be.

By For Wild Places

We're a group of adventurers who love to

protect wild places we run on