Well, hi there – I’m a British freelance writer originally from Hampshire and now based in Devon.
I write primarily about adventures in the great outdoors, be that here in the UK, out in the Atacama or somewhere mid-ocean. I love to talk about the connection we have with the natural world as well as the importance of using our bodies to stay physically active on our own terms.
What does that mean?
It means that you don’t have to wait for permission to get out there and be active. To get out there and play. To run, or ride or pick up a tennis racket or ramble in the hills. It means that you weren’t either born ‘arty’ or ‘sporty’; it means you don’t need a label.
This is what I aim to communicate. I’m not a born adventurer, I’m not ‘the sporty one’. But that doesn’t matter. We don’t need permission to embrace physical activity, whatever that means to you.
Adventuring and writing about adventuring
In 2014, I left the UK on a small boat with my then-partner and sailed over 18,000 miles around the Atlantic and Caribbean. I was 25 when I left and I’d never sailed before. A voyage taking three years and involving two Atlantic crossings, this was the ultimate test in living outside my comfort zone.
I grew up into a cyclocross family and competed in a lacklustre fashion throughout my childhood. I left those races behind, only picking up cycling again recently after years of simply using my bicycles as a tool to get around. Now I ride road, gravel and MTB. I’m also an avid walker and runner; I think that if you can’t work it out on a footpath somewhere, it’s not something that can be worked out.
My writing has appeared in The Guardian, Yachting Monthly, SurfGirl, RedBull, Matador Network, PopSugar and ROVA. I work as a freelance travel/outdoor content and copywriter, creating inspiring and engaging content for countryside and outdoors organisations.
My first book was published by Fernhurst Books this year and is a deeply personal travel memoir. Read more about In Bed with the Atlantic and my second book, The Little Book of Zen here.
Speaking
I give talks about my books, my industry and my travels. I also want to inspire the next generation to not be defined by what they’ve been told about their sporting ability (or lack of). I will start giving talks in secondary schools and colleges about how you can take back control over your physical activity, even if you’ve been put off by competitive sports during childhood or told that sport wasn’t for you.
Need a speaker? Head to my speaking page to find out more.
Three fun facts about me:
I gave up alcohol at the start of 2018 and only wish I’d done it sooner
I once did a wing walk on a Boeing-Stearman biplane
I’m related to one of Shackleton’s crew members, Ernest Holness, a stoker on board the Endurance
Work with me
If you’re looking to commission me as a writer or are a brand looking to collaborate then please do get in touch. If you’re looking for stand out content writing and copy, check out my portfolio and let’s have a chat.
If you don’t need writing and instead need wicked photographs and headshots like the ones you’ve seen on my site, the woman you need is Lily Holman. You can find her here: lilyholman.com. She’s amazing.