Rhiane Fatinikun is on a mission to make the outdoors more accessible to other black women.
"I wanted to create a space for black women in the outdoors because you don't see representation of us in those spaces," she tells HELLO! of her motivation for setting up Black Girls Hike, an inclusive group encouraging black women to connect with nature via hikes and nature days.
On why there's a lack of inclusion when it comes to outdoor pursuits, Rhiane cites several barriers – which she hopes to break down.
© Holly Bagnall / Mountain Warehouse"If you think about where the majority of black and brown people live in the UK, it is not in the countryside," Rhiane begins on the barriers black women face in accessing nature.
"When you think about transport to these rural places, it's so inaccessible. The national parks claim to be accessible, but they're just not. We arrange car shares to make sure our members can get out there."
An introduction to nature
Rhiane, who is now an ambassador for Mountain Warehouse and has been awarded an MBE for her work, first found the healing powers of nature after she was involved in a near-death car accident, which left her with PTSD.
© Holly Bagnall / Mountain Warehouse"I decided I needed to get out a little bit more to help my mental wellbeing," she explains. "I was on a train going through the Peak District and I saw other people getting off the train to go hiking, and realised that was what I wanted to do, too.
"From my first hike, I found that being outside felt like closing all of the tabs in my brain," she says. "It helps me to refocus and reset. I also found myself being more mindful when I was in the Peaks, noticing what was going on around me rather than focussing inward."
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An inspiration
Rhiane found that being forced to overcome difficult elements on her hikes gave her the motivation to try new things in other areas of her life.
© Holly Bagnall / Mountain Warehouse"You've got to embrace your grit to take on the challenges outdoors," she enthuses. "You overcome obstacles and take that power with you into your life.
"Being in nature makes you eager to learn new things – I volunteer as a park ranger now, and I'm inspired to learn more about the environment and how we can protect it, conserve it and how we can engage more people in it.
"I want to start taking some courses, which in turn opens so many other avenues, it's so transformative."
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Unapologetic
Rhiane says that a lot of the black women in her group don't tend to spend a lot of time in nature, but Black Girls Hike gives them the confidence that they belong in the space.
"One of the things that I love about Black Girls Hike is having 'black' in our name, it shows that we are unapologetic and we're about to take up space and empower other people.
© Holly Bagnall / Mountain Warehouse"Women in the group know if they can take up the space there, they can do it everywhere, they can do it anywhere."
Rhiane Fatinikun is a brand ambassador for Mountain Warehouse and author of Finding Your Feet: The How-To Guide to Hiking and Adventuring.
