My name is Claire Smallwood. I am an activist.
My passion is sharing what I love most—the outdoors. The vision we foster through SheJumps is to create a community of ambitious and compassionate women who are willing to take a “jump” to reach their potential and help others reach their own.
Our main objective is to increase and inspire the participation of women in outdoor activities. We are a multifaceted organization that works on three levels: Jump In (and try something new), Jump Up (challenge yourself to something better) and Jump Out (share it with someone new).
Shejumps.org is our website and main portal of inspiration that highlights the accomplishments and adventures of everyday women. We create many different programs that are opportunities for professional athletes or recreational enthusiasts to give back to their communities, such as our skiing camps at Alta with Boys & Girls Club teens from Salt Lake City.
We offer a multitude of resources to ensure that women have no excuse to not go outside. These resources come in many different ways, including our gear grant program that provides gear through a simple application process. In return, we simply ask that the gear get used and that whoever is using it document the fun she’s having with it.
SheJumps also strives to create community-organized events where women meet up with other women to have outdoor adventures of any nature (including hula-hooping). One of the most memorable is our Backcountry Tour for the Cure, an event for SheJumpers to experience the challenge of winter camping in solidarity to raise money for women with breast cancer.
It’s not that there haven’t always been women excelling in the outdoors as leaders, athletes, activists and enthusiasts; at SheJumps, we believe it’s time for women to become a part of something bigger. We started SheJumps to celebrate the beautiful, empowering camaraderie of what females and genuine, unselfish support can do. After all, “if she can do it, so can I.
Claire Smallwood is the Executive Director of SheJumps.org.
