Meet Sydney Williams, Founder of Hiking My Feelings

I LOVE Sydney.

She is an incredible human that dedicates her life to helping others. Need someone to talk to about those things you don't feel comfortable talking to anyone else about? Sydney has your back and knows how to listen like no one else. Need someone to cheer you on? Sydney will be there shaking her pom-poms. Need someone to light your path? Sydney's light is bright enough for the both of you.

She is such a special soul and I am lucky I got to give her the chance to tell us about herself in the next few pages.

Jaime: Who is Sydney Williams? What sets your soul on fire?

Sydney: Sydney Williams is a human on a healing journey. In this life on this planet in this meatsuit, I've climbed the rungs of the ladders in Corporate America, published a book, jumped out of airplanes competitively, rowed on the Kansas River in uniform as a Jayhawk, survived multiple sexual assaults, married my best friend, hosted more than 200 events as a the founder of a non-profit called Hiking My Feelings and have helped thousands of people on their healing journey.

Hearing other people's stories and helping them connect the dots sets my soul on fire.

Jaime: How did HMF begin?

Sydney: Hiking My Feelings started as one of those blissful moments you see in movies, where the hero magically comes up with a great idea, as if a universal 2x4 just smacked them in the face. For me, that happened at the top of Stonewall Peak outside of San Diego, California. I was a recently diagnosed diabetic who had just given up a six figure salary, cushy benefits, and the title I had always wanted (Chief Marketing Officer) to finally prioritize my health and happiness. I was training for my second attempt at the Trans-Catalina Trail when I was standing on top of the mountain and realized that the sense of calm that consumed me in an otherwise chaotic time in my life could be attributed to how I had been managing my diabetes. Instead of eating and drinking my feelings in times of stress or sadness, I was hiking my feelings.

It started as a hashtag and a blog post in May 2018, and today it is the title of my first book, a movement, and a nonprofit on a mission to improve community health by introducing folks from all walks of life to the healing power of nature. Since we started the first Hiking My Feelings Tour in 2019, we've hosted more than 200 events around the US, helping folks connect the dots on how trauma manifests in our minds and bodies, and how the outdoors can help us heal.

Jaime: What has been the biggest challenge for you with starting a non profit organization? What kind of support do you need?

Sydney: The biggest challenge I've had along this journey is believing in myself. From the outside looking in, this is probably surprising, as I'm incredibly confident when I'm in my zone of genius - writing, public speaking, leading this organization, facilitating our programs, hosting events, etc. But until recently, when I closed the laptop or returned to the van after an event, I would find myself anxious as all get out, evaluating everything I said, battling imposter syndrome, and questioning my ability and qualifications to lead this organization and facilitate this space along the way was the support I finally had the courage to ask for. I stopped trying to do everything myself and slowly loosened my death grip on my to-do list and allowed Barry (my husband) to take the reins on our video content. I did everything myself for the first two years - I wrote all the programs, applied for grants, wrote and published the book, recorded the audiobook, developed our website, wrote everything for social media, pitched brands for sponsorship, etc. If I failed, I wanted it to be my fault. I didn't even stop to consider that I could be successful, or that I could ask for the help I needed.

Day-to-day, I wouldn't be able to do what I do without Barry's support. More often than not, he's the one making breakfast and making sure I stay fed and hydrated during the day. He helps keep me on track and focused - I have a LOT of ideas and I have a tendency to try to do everything at once. Within Hiking My Feelings, he learned how to edit videos in 2019 and documents this journey for us, and he taught himself how to use Adobe Audition to finalize my audiobook when I ran into a dead-end with my skill set. He also plans our entire tour schedule, logistics, and picks the hikes for our group events.

Outside of the tangible things, he's my best friend, my adventure buddy for life, my husband and he is the calm, stable force, the glue that keeps me together. He doesn't step out from behind the curtain very often, but he is an integral part of this organization.

What we need now more than ever is financial support to keep this mission moving forward. We are finally starting to see the fruits of our labor for the past 2.5 years and are winning grants and partnering with incredible brands and organizations that are putting their money where their mouth is when it comes to helping us improve community health and increase awareness of and access to outdoor recreation.

Jaime: What is one piece of advice you’d give to yourself 10 years ago that would have helped you tremendously?

Sydney: Ten years ago I would have told myself that what I experienced in college was sexual assault and I would have encouraged myself to get the help I needed. I didn't tell anyone about my assault for more than 11 years, I swore I'd take that secret to the grave. And I almost did, multiple times. The fact that I survived the assault itself is one thing, but to make it through the aftermath, carrying the weight of that trauma by myself for more than a decade, it's a miracle I'm still here to do this work. Once I shared my story with Barry, it was like the floodgates opened and I couldn't contain the story anymore. It took on a life of its own and I committed to a lifetime of sharing that story with anyone who would listen, as it was hearing other survivor's stories that helped me find the language to articulate what happened to me and finally begin my healing journey.

Jaime: What is your all time favorite trail?

Sydney: My all-time favorite trail is the Dawson-Pitamakan Loop in Glacier National Park. It starts and ends at Two Medicine Lake campground and is one of the most stunning hikes I've ever had the privilege of enjoying sweeping views, tons of wildlife, and the perfect mix of uphill and downhill - just challenging enough to get your heart pumping but not enough to make you hate life. Second favorite would be backpacking the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne in Yosemite National Park camping near Waterwheel Falls was a holy experience.

Jaime: What is the single most important thing a person can do for themself to become the best version of themselves?

Sydney: Take responsibility for your healing journey. What happened to you so far and what has happened to your ancestors wasn't your fault, but your healing is your responsibility. If you're the first one in your family to break the cycle of generational trauma, it will be the hardest work you ever do, but on the other side of all the pain, questioning, confusion, and boundary setting is the happiest, healthiest life you could possibly imagine.

Pro-tip: Healing isn't a destination to reach - it's a lifelong journey. You aren't broken, lazy, or doing it wrong when you can't heal yourself overnight. Reading a book, taking a course, working with a therapist - none of those things will magically "fix" you. You have to consistently show up for yourself, do the work to unlearn the lies you've internalized as truth, and start to blaze your own trail to self love. We're all broken, none of us need to be "fixed" - we just need more tools in our toolbox to be able to grow into the best versions of ourselves.

Jaime: How does hiking heal?

Sydney: When I say hiking helped me heal my mind and body, I want to be super clear on what I mean by that and how it happened. When I'm hiking, I'm not listening to podcasts, audiobooks, or music. It's just me, the voices

in my head, and the sounds of the world around me. If we never allow ourselves to disconnect from the distractions, we'll never be able to reconnect with ourselves. Hiking with no distractions empowers me to hear my inner voice and my inner critic. If you've ever heard the phrase "you've got issues in your tissues" or "trauma is stored in your hips" - it's true. A great book that explains this is The Body Keeps the Score. For me, intense physical activity difficult hikes and backpacking trips - allows me to hear my inner voice and access the memories and experiences I've worked really hard to numb and suppress. When you're on the trail, anything goes Mother Nature can handle your pain, your joy, and anything in between. Don't be afraid of the release that is possible when out in nature.

On the physical side of things, I hike as much as I can to manage my diabetes. The CDC recommends 30 minutes of movement 5 days per week to prevent and manage diabetes and by now we all understand the physical benefits of of taking a walk in the woods. But the healing power of nature is rooted in the mental, physical, and spiritual benefits that are available when you go for a hike. You're moving your body, you're disconnected from the distractions of a technology-driven life, and you can find connection with the world around you.

Jaime: What does “hike it off” mean to you?

Sydney: I "hike it off" all the time! When I get frustrated with myself or other humans, I go for a good stomp up a hill to get the energy out of my body. Hiking My Feelings = Hiking It Off. Whether I'm working through a difficult encounter with someone in my life, or just blowing off steam, hiking can serve as a great way to move that energy through my body so it doesn't get stuck and take root in the form of mental or physical dis-ease.

Jaime: What does the future look like for HMF?

Sydney: This year, we've kicked off our community health initiative - Take a Hike, Diabetes. We're on a mission to hike one million miles for diabetes awareness with the help of our community, and we are excited about what the future holds as we move toward this goal.

When we toured the US in 2019, we heard that a lot of folks don't feel safe or represented in outdoor spaces. When we were doing research for the #TakeAHikeDiabetes campaign, we noticed that those folks come from the communities with the highest prevalence of diabetes. In our mind, if we can increase awareness and accessibility to outdoor recreation, then community health will improve.

So this year, we are connecting the dots on diabetes in a few ways:

1. Encouraging people to get outside. Our Virtual Activity Challenge, hosted on the Kilter app, incentivizes folks to get outside and track their hikes, walks, runs, and rolling workouts for diabetes awareness. With the help of our partners and sponsors, we have some epic prizes available to encourage you to keep exploring the world around you. Folks register like they would for a marathon, pick or start a team, and sync the Kilter app with a fitness tracker (Strava, Garmin, MapMyRun, Apple Health and Google Fit are currently supported), and they can win epic prizes just for taking a hike (or run, walk, roll). We're stoked to partner with Salomon to offer a free pair of X Ultra 4 GTX shoes each month, UST Gear has donated a tent every month, and Gossamer Gear has donated two backpacks every month as well - with more partners signing up each month and offering even more prizes.

2. The #TakeAHikeDiabetes Tour. This summer we're showcasing urban hiking trails to demonstrate that you don't have to travel far to experience the healing power of nature, you can find these adventures in the cities and towns where you work, live, and play. We kick off the tour in Chicago on June 1 in partnership with the Outerbelt Alliance. The Chicago Outerbelt is a 220 mile trail around the city and most of it is accessible via public transportation. We're hiking from Lake Michigan to Detroit (270+ miles) in July in partnership with the Michigan Trails & Greenways Alliance, and we wrap the tour in partnership with the Capital Trails Coalition in Washington, D.C. in September. Along the way, we will be hosting activities and meetups at campsites, parks, and on the trail to invite local difference makers, community leaders, brands and organizations to join us. We will be interviewing folks who are helping make the outdoors more inclusive, as well as the folks who are supporting the local diabetes community. Anyone and everyone is welcome to join us virtually or on the trail within any local guidelines for COVID19 and group gatherings in each area that we're passing through.

Jaime: Anything else you’d like to share?

Sydney: One of the things I'm most interested in exploring on the road this year is the relationship between trauma and diabetes. When we look at my personal experience managing type 2 diabetes, this is absolutely true. When I didn't get help after I was sexually assaulted in college, I developed unhealthy coping mechanisms to help numb the pain and avoid flashbacks. I would eat Ben & Jerry's for breakfast and drink a bottle of wine to myself every night more often than not. After more than a decade of those behaviors, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

I mean, take a look at the prevalence of diabetes by racial group: 14.7% of Native Americans/Alaskan Natives 12.5% of Hispanics 11.7% of non-Hispanic Blacks 9.2% of Asian Americans 7.5% of non-Hispanic whites If you look at these groups and think about issues like poverty, access to healthcare, education, food deserts (and food swamps), the pay gaps in America, and the historical trauma experienced by these communities - colonization, racism, slavery, oppression, systemic issues - trauma may have a significant relationship with diabetes diagnosis and management.

When it comes to the opportunities that come our way, we always ask ourselves two questions:

1. Does this feel good?

2. Will this make the world a better place for everyone, not just for some of us?

If the answer to both is yes, then we move forward with enthusiasm and gratitude, and I would encourage folks to take stock of their life right now and upcoming decisions and look at life through that lens, even if only for a day.

For more information about Hiking My Feelings and to follow visit www.hikingmyfeelings.org