it’s about WE not ME

From Coalition Snow’s April 2, 2020 Lady Parts email, written by their CEO Jen Gurecki

I want to talk about a raging debate in the outdoor community right now: What sort of activities should we be participating in to maintain our personal health, as well as the health of our community?

There’s a ton to read about this here, here, and here. And here’s my two cents: The outdoor community at large should check their privilege at the door and think about WE not ME.

First of all, backcountry skiing and mountain biking are not needs. Needs include: healthy food, clean water, a safe home, air to breath, companionship, and movement. So stop using the word “need” because it smacks of privilege and it’s insulting AF to people who aren’t able-bodied or resourced enough to be able to participate in these types of activities.

Now I understand that many people want to continue to ski and ride because of how they fuel their souls and make them happy, but now is the time for collective sacrifice. A metric that I’ve thought of this week (and feel free to disagree and/or send over more ideas) is that if your activity would result in a search and rescue, it’s too high risk given the current circumstances. We don’t have enough masks. We don’t have enough hospital beds. We don’t have enough healthcare workers.

Even the most careful and skilled athletes are injured and die in pursuing their love of their sport. This isn’t about whether or not you have the skill, it’s about whether or not you should be putting that skill to use now knowing that our healthcare system is at the brink of total collapse.

This is a time for everyone to lead—to step up as a role model in your activities and conversations with friends, to consider what you post on social media and what messages you send to the public.

Again, everything we do should be about WE and not ME.

Stay healthy and safe friends, 

Jen Gurecki, CEO | @yogurecki | she/her/hers

PS: Get more information on our Inside Voices small business/freelancer support group and happy hour here. 

PSS: We created this fancy and fun spreadsheet with tons of great resources that you can contribute to too.

PSSS: Issues 1 – 4 of Sisu Magazine are now free to read on-line. You can access Issue 1 here, Issue 2 here, Issue 3 here, and Issue 4 here.