In our experience
It’s fun, it’s free and, for these three women, stepping out has helped them forge friendships and overcome challenges
‘I’V E EXPLORED PLACES I NEVERK NEW EXISTED’
Julie Dalphinis, 65, a retired safeguarding officer for the NHS, is a volunteer walk leader with Black Girls Hike. She lives in East London.
My father came from the Caribbean and, as a boy, walking was his main form of transport. When I was a teenager, my parents took my siblings and me back to the Caribbean, and we did some of their daily walks – three miles to school, another mile to move the goats, another mile to run errands.
My passion for walking really took off when I was in my 40s. In 2020, during lockdown, I saw a Facebook post from the organisation Black Girls Hike (BGH). I got in touch with the founder, Rhiane Fatinikun, who told me about her vision to get more Black women outdoors. It was a vision I shared, as I was all too aware of the lack of Black hikers. If you don’t see other people doing it, it’s not something you think of doing yourself.
In 2021, I became a walk leader with BGH. I’ve completed a lowland walk leader course, and learnt how to read maps and plan walks, and now I lead a group a month. We’ve had some great times going out and about in Essex, which has forests, country parks,coastlines and marshes. I have met new people and explored places that I never knew existed.
There can be anything from three to 30 people in the group and we usually walk around six miles, although once, we got carried away and walked about 12! I also walk every Saturday with four of my close friends. It has strengthened our friendship; that regular commitment means we’re always checking in with each other, and afterwards, we’ll go for a meal and put the world to rights.
There’s something very special about walking in a group. Walking side by side means you can end up having a deep conversation with people you barely know. It just feels easy.
