The Aspire team is honored to share Elena Mora’s winning essay for the Sawtooth Backcountry Women’s Trip with you. We are certain that the boldness with which Elena shares both her challenges and stoke for life and running will inspire readers as it did our panel and staff.
I have been labeled as a problem for much of my life. I learned from an early age that this is what happens to women and girls who dare to deviate. I remember being scolded as a little girl when I protested rules that applied to me but not my brothers. It felt right, almost courageous to talk back when I knew the rules were unjust. If staying home after dark made a woman decent, then I wanted to run through a thousand nights until all of the decency purged from my body. I wish I could say traditional Latin American values were the only restrictions I faced, but life had placed loss and displacement in our path like landmines. Still, I never gave up on my dream of becoming a wild woman. I pictured a life where I could run, bike, swim, board, and backpack toward absolute freedom. Today, I feel intense pride in prioritizing this sense of exploration and discovery, and I can’t imagine anything more powerful than living by these values.
For years I mourned the loss of a family, a home, and a childhood. The last thing I had in these situations was control or empowerment. What I did have was the comfort of concrete. I ran to rebel against the hand that life had dealt me, and I found power and agency in simply moving through my neighborhood with intensity. This holds true today because in outdoor places I test my limits on my own terms, and my deepest, most guarded memories become fuel to push harder and faster. Come on girl, you got it. Maybe I’ll smile or maybe I’ll scowl, but what’s certain is that when I’m working toward the next mile or skill, I feel incredible power in knowing I’m a woman who takes her own direction and trusts her own decisions.
In addition to the time actually spent in these spaces, I can’t underestimate the power I have in being able to access them. Last year I bought a previously owned, basic model, manual transmission Subaru Impreza. It may not seem like anything special, but in my eyes it’s the most souped up ride you’ll ever see. Loading my snowboard, bike, or trail running gear feels like an immense privilege because as of six months ago this was not possible. It saddens me to know that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that Latin American women are the lowest paid demographic in the United States. I have been in the restaurant industry my entire working career, and I can confirm that we are often forgotten about and disrespected. My household also reflected this reality. One of the many sacrifices my mother made was to give up English classes in order to care for us, and her own hobbies and interests were never prioritized. I am a Latin American woman—and unlike so many of us—I am in charge of my finances and my time. When I’m lost in the flow of my movement, I remind the world and myself that we are strong and capable. In return, these spaces grant me a spiritual and physical power that I bring with me into all aspects of my life.
I spend time in the outdoors to shed the weight of what it means to be a woman, but also to feel the strength within it. I love listening to my reggaeton playlist while I braid my long, curly hair and contemplate which sports bra better matches my shorts. This past January I was so pretty and strong in my pink and purple outfit while I flew down my first black diamond. I just want to thank Bad Bunny for believing in me. I felt a rush of confidence in finally connecting all of my turns. All of the times I have fallen have led me to this. I felt powerful in persevering and in doing it while looking and feeling cool. This is because women in sports that dare to care about the way they look have often been perceived as superficial or incompetent. I am neither.
I recall a time when existing in the outdoors was only a daydream. Only those that have been starved can understand the intense hunger that consumes me. I find empowerment in our wild spaces through the hope it gives me and through the knowledge that I have made—and continue to make—a better life for myself. In these spaces, I am powerful when I represent myself as resilient and determined, as a woman with style and swag, and as a figure that’s beautiful and free. Do you see it yet? I want the world to witness that women can do it all. You can catch me pulling up to our outdoor spaces in my bright blue ride with my frizzy mane and Latin beats, feeling empowered to finally take my place as a wild, powerful woman.
Elena Mora grew up exploring north Jersey’s urban sprawl and currently resides in Boston. She loves cycling through the city, running the trails, and daydreaming of her next backpacking trip. Whether it’s hammocking near the river or heading toward the mountains, she is always ready for the next adventure.