In August, Parks Project partnered with HER Trails for a trail run and clean up day in Will Rogers Park outside of LA. HER Trails was founded by Bec Wilcock who is a coach at Nike. She started HER Trails back in 2021 in hopes of empowering women outside, on the trails, both in resilience and play- connecting nature to ourselves. Together we picked up trash and got outside to enjoy a morning full of running, hiking, and good community. We asked Bec a couple questions regarding HER work to build this new outdoor community for women, check them out below:
1. Who are you as a brand and as individuals?
Her Trails is a global female adventure platform empowering women to discover their resilience, self-reliance and play through connecting to the trail, nature and themselves.
Bec Wilcock
Bec has a Bachelor of Sport Science and over 10 years of experience in the fitness industry. She has worked 1:1 with elite athletes as a personal trainer and reached millions of runners worldwide through her work with the Nike Running Club (NRC). She is the Her Trails co-founder and Run & Strength Coach, a Nike Coach, and an athletic training advisor to Ladder Sports Nutrition alongside Lebron James and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
As an athlete, Bec was an Australian national champion for sprint triathlon before moving into ultra and trail running. In 2016, she was a starter at the infamous Barkley Marathon and, in 2019, was part of the record breaking all-female team for The Speed Project that ran 340 miles from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.
Bec is passionate about making a difference in people’s lives, supporting them to build their self-worth, and training them to be in their peak condition. Her knowledge will lead you into powerful action and her energy is infectious.
Samantha Gash
Sam has a Double Degree in Law & Performing Arts yet switched her heels for runners, becoming one of the early pioneers in the running for change movement. Since 2010 she has run over 35,000km on every continent on the planet, created world class endurance projects including a 3500km run from the West to East of India, a 379km non-stop run across Australia’s Simpson Desert and being the first woman to complete the Four Deserts Grand Slam Series. She was the co-founder of the Relief Run and has raised over $1.3 million for charities through running and endurance campaigns.
She presents to audiences all around the globe on the topics of human potential, purpose and how to cultivate community and resilience. She is a Global Ambassador for Lululemon, Specialized, World Vision and the Royal Flying Doctors Service. Her mantra is if you want something you’ve never had, you have to do something you’ve never done. Sam will leave you believing nothing is impossible and will help you to unlock your greatest tool – your mind!
2. How did you start Her Trails? Who/what inspires you as a brand and as individuals?
Samantha Gash and I started Her Trails in 2021 during the pandemic. - Her Trails is known as our covid baby :) We were inspired to create the Her Trails platform to give her the tools that we wish we had as runners, endurance athletes and adventurers. From our personal experience and expertise we know that women want to be supported, educated and inspired to do wild things - so we created a space where women can train holistically, be educated and feel supported in their adventures.
3. Why did you create Her Trails? What are your values and goals?
Samantha Gash and I created Her Trails to help women all over the world discover their resilience, self-reliance and play by connecting to the trails, nature, and themselves. Whether you’re a new runner, returning to running after time off, a new mother, an experienced runner who wants to optimize her performance or anything in between – Her Trails was built to champion all kinds of women on their journeys to unlock the potential within their female physiology. We believe in a holistic approach to discovering our own physical and mental strength by combining this with the power of nature, spirit and soul to create meaningful, lasting personal change.
4. What kind of programs do you offer and what do your programs look like? Are they beginner-friendly?
Her Trails has programs geared towards helping you cover hiking programs, to the 10km distance and all the way up to an ultra-marathon! Training sessions in our programs are time-based rather than distance-based, making it perfect for beginners. All Her Trails programs are holistic and broken down into weekly building blocks. Each week, you receive strength and mobility workouts, long run podcasts and mindset videos in addition to the running plan. The programs are designed to support HER with content and coaching across running, strength, mobility, nutrition, hormonal health (training with your female physiology) and mindset - put together by your coaches and an amazing team of experts.
5. How can someone join?
Visit our website – hertrails.com – and select which program you’d like to join to sign up! We have cohorts starting regularly – so keep an eye out for what’s coming up! If you’re unsure of what program would be the best fit for you, you can reach out to us via email (info@hertrails.com) or DM us on Instagram - @her_trails. Her Trails is a global community of women who are passionate about supporting each other. So, if you’re interested in joining, we’re always here for help and welcome you to our tribe.
6. What does it mean to be part of your community?
Being part of Her Trails means you’re part of a community of women all over the globe who support each other in our individual journeys to connect to the trails, nature, and ourselves. We love to go after big goals and challenge ourselves but stay flexible, supportive and patient in how we get there. This community is also about forming a deeper connection to the wild spaces we play in. Your relationship with the trails and the other women in Her Trails will be so much deeper as you train holistically to cover the distance. You may have individual goals when you enter the program – be it a race, distance, or health goal – but you are never alone here. The whole Her Trails community will be by your side to support you and celebrate all the successes you will achieve!
7. What’s one piece of advice you have for fellow female trail users?
It’s so tough to pick just one! When we get together to run on the trails, we like to call it a ‘play day.’ Because getting to spend time on the trails and in our wild spaces is something we are so grateful for and always want to approach from a mindset of celebration and play. We may have some seriously big goals – but that doesn’t mean you have to take yourself too seriously. And, always remember to take care of these spaces that bring us so much joy. Bringing a pack to help carry out any trash you generate or find is an easy way to leave it better than you found it.
Stay tuned for our upcoming Parks Project x HER Trails clean up day on Giving Tuesday in LA this year to continue empowering women outside. We will be posting updated information for our next clean up day together on our socials and email, follow @parksproject & @HERTrails for the most up to date information.
In August, Parks Project partnered with HER Trails for a trail run and clean up day in Will Rogers Park outside of LA. We asked Bec Wilcock, founder of HER Trails, a couple questions regarding HER work to build this new outdoor community for women, check them out!
