We are thrilled to share that SheJumps had it’s first event in DC earlier this September. With the leadership of Southeast Ambassador, Cat Wile, SheJumps burst into our national’s capital with style. The DC Urban Adventure Challenge raised over $1,000 for SheJumps and introduced a whole new group of women to the organization. Great work Cat! – Cristy Watson, SE Regional Director
Written by: Cathryn Wile, Southeast Ambassador
It was hot and humid when I arrived on site at 6 a.m. on Saturday September 10, and by 9 a.m. my weather app read “feels like 113℉.” The heat and humidity couldn’t do anything to intimidate or slow down the 36 women who were in the middle of a two hour Urban Adventure Challenge in Washington DC though! They had just finished a morning yoga session with ProYoga (naturally heated by Mother Nature) and were setting off on a 5K run around the city with several stops for fitness challenges. Welcome to SheJumps Washington DC launch event, the DC Urban Adventure Challenge!
(Photo by: Cat Wile)
After getting warmed up with yoga led by Amy Mitchell of ProYoga, the ladies took off on a 3.2 mile run around the city with a stop to complete a bootcamp with Mountain Athletics by The North Face, a parkour and crossfit workout with American Parkour and Primal Fitness to learn some sweet parkour skills, and ending with a knot tying challenge with The North Face. The ladies were greeted back at our home base, the REI Community Space at Wunder Garten with post-race refueling by Cava Grill, KIND Snacks, Avitae Caffeine Water, and Harris Teeter.
(Photo by: ProYoga)
Rehydrated by Avitae and refueled by KIND bars and Cava Grill veggies and dips, the ladies gathered in the tiny bits of shade, meeting new friends, and we raffled off an incredible set of swag from all of our partners including: REI, The North Face – Georgetown, Patagonia – Georgetown, Arc’teryx – City Center, Athleta, Summit to Soul, Strong Fit Meals, Aura Spa at Vida Fitness, Oakley, and The Trust for the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
(Photo by: Avitae Caffeine Water)
All of our ladies walked away winners, with one heck of a challenging workout under their belt, new friends, and a race bag with goodies by ProYoga, Mountain Athletics, Summit to Soul, Athleta, Strong Fit Meals, and more!
(Photo by: Mountain Athletics)
We were so proud to have such a wonderful group of women join us, work out together, and love every minute of it. It was especially great to see some mother-daughter pairs come out, as well as, women of the U.S. Army, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Navy – including a group of young women who came from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis! Several SheJumpers from Washington State now on the East Coast won the award for commitment for traveling in from Pennsylvania and Baltimore to join us! We look forward to seeing all of you ladies at future SheJumps events!
(Photo by: ProYoga)
Washington DC is a big city with lots of traffic, and yet many people don’t have cars so getting to the local outdoor recreation areas can seem daunting. The aim of our event was to show women that there is a wealth of resources to explore outdoors in the confines of a city. We have an incredible park system which are often used for fitness opportunities such as with Mountain Athletics who hosts two free workouts a week at different parks. Recreation abounds along the GW Parkway with running and bike trails and plenty of kayaking and SUP on the Potomac River. There are opportunities to learn new skills or cross train for your outdoor adventures with facilities like American Parkour and Primal Fitness and there are many organizations like SheJumps, The North Face, and REI who host event series to provide awareness and opportunities to explore the great outdoors in the DMV. We may not think of the city as an outdoor paradise, but there is so much to explore in the DMV and all it takes is a little awareness, sometimes a little more planning, and occasionally a good friend with a car!
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