(Podcast) She, Who Is Capable + Builds an Inclusive Community on the Trails - Amanda Powell

She Who Wanders

Jul 12

A Podcast Convo with Amanda from @NationalParkCapable

Meet Amanda. She’s an outdoorsy mom living with mild cerebral palsy and the founder of National Park Capable, which seeks to help people with all abilities have the resources they need to spend time outdoors and travel based on their own ability level in things like adaptive sports, safety, and accessibility in the 63 National Parks. Having once been told she would never walk, you can now find Amanda biking, hiking and taking on physical challenges all over the US, often alongside her adorable 3 year-old daughter, and hosting meetups to build a community of adventurers. Her meaningful mission is to inspire ALL people to get out and explore the outdoors, regardless of their ability level and to show that we can all enjoy it together.

I’m so excited to share some inspiration with you through Amanda’s incredible story today on the She, Who Wanders Podcast.

***

Update! Since the podcast was recorded, Amanda’s nonprofit, Everybody on Trails has now launched! Be sure to explore the Everybody on Trails website to get connected to this incredible mission!

Read Full Episode Transcript Here

Episode Highlights

Introduction 0:01
Amanda's Backstory 1:26
Facing Challenges 3:38
Outdoor Adventures + National Park Capable 6:15
Amanda's Nonprofit Aspirations 14:38
Raising Awareness 16:42
The Importance of Inclusion 19:31
Your Great Wanderlust 22:10
Rapid Fire Questions 23:52
Listen + Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
Listen + Subscribe on Spotify

Quotes from the Interview:

"When we find that mission or path to contribution, it not only impacts the world around us, but it also gives us something to wake up for in the morning." - Candice
"I just feel better when I'm outside. I feel better when I am doing those things to help adapt being outside." - Amanda
"Physically, I wasn't able to walk around with my daughter...but my eyes are kind of open to like, 'Okay, you may not be able to get outdoors this way, but there are still things that you can do." - Amanda
"I want to try and find gear that helps me...so the way that I really saw a need was the accessibility not just for more wheelchair accessible trails but more like the things that I needed to get on the trails." - Amanda
"My dream would be to get as much of those things outdoors to people as possible." - Amanda
"I want all of us to be outside together. It's not about numbers; it's about creating that community and saying, 'Hey, it's okay, you can get outside too.'" - Amanda
"There needs to be more talk about adapting outdoors to different abilities." - Amanda