INTERVIEW
Meet the group bringing larger-bodied walkers together – and changing the way outdoor kit is made.
“WHEN OUR INSTAGRAM page hit 1000 followers in the first 48 hours, I think that’s when we realised how much of a thing this was,” says Steph Wetherell.
“There were a lot of people out there thinking ‘maybe it’s just me’. And suddenly we were all realising that it wasn’t.”
That moment, back in February 2022, was a landmark for Steph. She and a small team of friends had just set up Every Body Outdoors, a community created to support larger-bodied people who want to spend more time outdoors, but feel hampered by issues of clothing, confidence or comradeship.
Every Body Outdoors has four key aims:
● To get more outdoor gear manufacturers to offer plus-size options (and to work with them on the design requirements which come with doing that)
● To advise and upskill plus-size people so that they feel able to enjoy the outdoors with confidence
● To create communities of walking groups (and running, cycling and climbing groups too) where no member is made to feel self-conscious, slow or poorly kitted out
● And to call for better representation of plus-size bodies in the outdoor industry and across the media.
Since launching two years ago, its success has been phenomenal. Several major gear brands are working with Every Body Outdoors to increase and improve their plus-size offerings, and regional groups for walkers, runners and cyclists have sprung up across the country.
“The bonds that are being created are incredible,” says Steph.
“People who never felt like they belonged in the outdoors now have a place to come together and know that they do belong and their experience is absolutely valid.”
It was all born from personal experience. Steph got into walking eight years ago, and quickly realised it could change the way she saw herself.
“I’ve not always had a positive relationship with my body but walking was absolutely transformational. I know now that my body can take me to amazing places.”
But she soon discovered the limitations encountered by plus-size hikers.
“As I got more ambitious, I really struggled to find the right clothes to wear,” she explains.
“If you’re just going for a few hours on easy paths you can put on a pair of leggings, a fleece from the supermarket and an ill-fitting waterproof jacket, and you’ll be okay. But if you’re going into the hills, whe
