Charlotte Fowles
I didn’t grow up in an outdoorsy household. I didn’t properly pitch a tent until I was 28. I didn’t think I belonged in these places in our wonderful world because I didn’t see any role models, so I never thought it was a space meant for me. Yet, now I have many happy years’ experience of pushing and growing myself through adventures including freediving, four-wheel driving – including expeditions through the Australian outback and across Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe - solo hiking, cold swimming, cycling, scuba diving and kayaking, and I now live in Brighton for easy access to water! Once I gained access to the incredible feelings of freedom and achievement and grew in confidence, there was no stopping me! I share my adventures and experiences widely - I often invite friends who have never adventured before to join me – and am regularly asked to share my experiences with others in talks and at events. My favourite emotion is freudenfreude – which is joy in others’ joy – and I adore inspiring other people to see what is possible for them, too. I also use adventure in my work as a coach, sometimes taking clients on mini-adventures or days outside to help them access and awaken different parts of them. Last year I arranged a weekend introduction to 4 wheel driving for some women for them to gain their LANTRA qualification. It’s wonderful to share such things with others when they previously assumed it wasn’t meant for them.
What is your interest or experience of adventure for mental health or wellbeing?
Adventure has saved me on many occasions throughout my life. Having had severe depression three times, each time I have sought refuge in adventure and the outdoors in order to help me heal. I remember realising whilst scuba diving during one of my depressed times, that this was the only place that my mind felt free. When I was diagnosed with cancer, I didn’t let it stop me. I had determined to complete a solo hike that year and I headed out to the U.S. to complete this whilst still having chemotherapy. Getting outside and training for the hike, despite my body’s issues and trauma, helped me stay sane during the difficult year that I was on chemo. During lockdown I started cold swimming and I know that this helped me – and the friends I met doing it – during a tough time for many. We used to start our days this way and it provided such a boost to mental wellness, that I extoll its virtues to anyone who will listen – and I was previously very sceptical! Having been a Samaritan years ago and knowing how hard it is to access mental health services in this country, I fervently wish that more was done to introduce people to adventure as early as possible – and also at times in their life when they think it has passed them by or its ‘too late’.
How can you help us spread the word about AdventureMind’s mission?
I’m extremely active on LinkedIn as well as Instagram and Facebook – which is how I have been approached by organisations wishing me to deliver talks (including on resilience and on adventure), and I already always mention Adventure Mind’s purpose and the research in order to show people the benefits. Most of my following are aware of my passion for talking about mental health and that I advocate for adventure as one of the main ways we can take care of ourselves and each other. My TedX talk last year references research shared at the first Adventure Mind conference and Belinda’s definition of adventure to underpin my story of how our chosen adventures help us to prepare for the unchosen adventures in life and build resilience. I have been twice asked to give talks and the closing dinner speech for the RAF at their yearly ‘See What You Can Be’ event – where they host 200 school girls and share inspiring role models so they can see a range of different career and life paths. I will be attending again next year and will, again, mention the Adventure Mind movement and the research and point people towards the resources. I’m regularly asked to give talks to events and organisations including Love Her Wild, Adventure Queens and I delivered one of the Royal Geographical Society’s microlectures earlier this year – all of which provides me credibility as a speaker and helps me get more speaking opportunities which I can mention Adventure Mind at. I’m delighted to be able to keeping talking about and sharing information that my audience will know is entirely congruent with who I am, what I do and what I believe in.