In Their Element - Three Stories of Determined Women

June 26, 2025

There are days when simply getting out the door feels like a triumph - when the noise of the world, or your own thoughts, becomes too loud to bear.

Nature offers us something different. A quiet place to return to ourselves. Whether it’s stepping into cold water or following a winding trail through the hills, the outdoors has a way of grounding us. Of reminding us who we are when everything else feels uncertain.

At FINDRA, we’re always inspired by people who share not just their adventures, but their why. Those who speak openly about how the outdoors helps them face life’s harder moments - anxiety, grief, burnout, self-doubt. Not because they’ve mastered the outdoors, but because they show up anyway.

We wanted to share some of the short films that have moved us most - not just to try something new, but to be gentler with ourselves. These are not stories of breaking records or conquering mountains. They are honest, deeply human reflections from women who’ve found strength, peace, and perspective in wild places.

Vitamin Sea

A raw, candid chronicle of Cal Major’s stand-up paddleboard expedition from Land’s End to John O’Groats – nearly 1,000 miles along the length of mainland UK. This film is visually stunning, but uniquely intimate. Cal dedicated her journey to a friend lost to mental illness, using the expedition as a personal healing process. The film captures her psychological highs and lows, as well as her battle against the blight of plastic pollution in the sea. Its considered storytelling, environmental messaging, and celebration of community all work together to create a visually beautiful and deeply layered film.

My Big White Thighs And Me

Filmmaker Hannah Maia shares a deeply personal, familiar and emotional journey. Feeling disconnected after a miscarriage and wrestling with body-image pressures, Hannah sets herself a simple goal: swim in open water, without a wetsuit, at least once a month for a year. Her account is incredibly human - she is not filming only her greatest acheivements, but her "silly noises" and cringiest moments. What begins as a solitary challenge gradually becomes a shared celebration. Her swims are woven with laughter, community, and newfound joy. She rediscovers a sense of freedom and rekindles her relationship with herself.

Lee Craigie's Inner Journey Along the Caledonian Way

In this beautifully shot and resonant short film, former pro mountain biker and member of the Adventure Syndicate, Lee Craigie takes us on a deeply personal journey along the Caledonian Way. This isn’t just a film about riding bikes. It’s a film about how biking saved her.

Lee reflects on a childhood shaped by anxiety, isolation, and a sense of not fitting in. As a teenager, the discovery of mountain biking gave her a language and landscape in which she could truly express herself. The film explores how outdoor activity can be an emotional release and a form of recovery - not only from trauma alone, but from the pain of never feeling “enough.”

We don’t need to be the fastest, the strongest, or the most adventurous. We just need to begin. The only challenge you need to take is the one you lay out for yourself. The women who share their stories of moments under open skies remind us that the outdoors is more than a backdrop – it’s a remedy. A place where we learn, slowly and surely, how to keep going. Growing resilience isn’t loud. It’s quiet, steady, and determined.

Sunday Inspiration

Favourite Book

Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown

This book is not about outdoor adventure, but about belonging to yourself. Brené talks about the courage it takes to stand alone, to face our own vulnerability, and to find connection in unexpected places, including nature.