"Imposter Syndrome" in the Outdoors

As The Mountaineers Membership & Communications Director, I spend a lot of time thinking about and interacting with the outdoor community. People are drawn to the outdoors by a sense of curiosity, but not everyone feels welcome in this space - either because of the actions of others or by the unwritten "rules" of who belongs in the outdoors. I'm here today to say: you belong here.

Imposter Syndrome

The feeling of being an imposter, or of not belonging, is often called Imposter Syndrome. According to the Harvard Business Review, "Imposter syndrome can be defined as a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success."

In the outdoors, and specifically within The Mountaineers, this shows up when someone feels like they shouldn't participate in an activity – say go for a hike – because they feel like they don't belong or don't deserve to be there. Yet, these same people still can and do go for hikes, but these feelings persist despite their accomplishments.

I am not an expert in imposter syndrome – I feel like an imposter writing this blog! – but I was compelled by a story shared in the PNW Outdoor Women Facebook Group to start a conversation on this topic. This group is not affiliated with The Mountaineers, yet many Mountaineers members are also members of this group, and vice versa. 

A woman in the PNWOW group bravely shared a photo of herself at the end of the most difficult hike of her life. In the post, she touched on the struggle she went through along the way. She hiked more elevation than she ever had before, moving slow and getting passed by many, and felt an incredible sense of elation when she reached the top. Yet despite that success, she also talked about feeling like a fraud. Which inspired my question: 

What makes you feel like you don't belong in the outdoors?

I asked the group, which has 30,000 members, "What makes you feel like you don't belong in the outdoors?" I was surprised by the number of responses and grateful for the feedback. While these responses aren't entirely representative of The Mountaineers community, the PNWOW group's experiences are similar to the feedback we hear from our participants. 

As The Mountaineers embark on a journey to become a more welcoming and inclusive organization, it's important we keep the words of these women in mind.

why These Women feel like imposters 

Women of the Pacific Northwest Outdoor Women's group cited feeling like imposters due to of age, experience levels, fitness, and not seeing themselves reflected within the existing outdoor community. Other issues include access to transportation, income disparities, lack of diversity, and lack of representation from the LGTBQ community.  

Age

Size

lack of diverse faces

Comments/comparisons from others

How these women are overcoming imposter syndrome

Overcoming these feelings takes grit and persistence, and it wont' happen over night. Women of the Pacific Northwest Outdoor Women's group offered a few helpful anecdotes to overcoming your own feelings of inadequacy:

you are just as worthy as anyone else

You can make your own mold

Only YOU get to decide where you belong

For more inspiration to help overcome imposter syndrome, check out this story by ultrarunner and author Mirna Valerio on the TransRockies Run: "This body is deemed a failure to many who judge it by its face value. It is devalued even, protested, and placed in the category of the unseemly. But take her out in the wild and she proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that instead of embodying burden, she is a powerful force."

And remember, don't let the comparison monster rob you of your joy. 

Why this matters for Mountaineers

Becoming a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive community was cited as very important priority in last year’s Mountaineers town hall meetings and an online survey soliciting input for our new strategic plan, Vision 2022. Leaders across our organization are committed to this goal and we’re excited about the journey ahead, recognizing it will take time and require long-term focus.

We know through our member surveys that The Mountaineers have historically been viewed as "elitist" and "intimidating". Thankfully, that perception has waned significantly, but we still have work to do to create the type of community  we outline in our Core Values - one which "provide opportunities for all: a diverse and inclusive outdoors inspires unity, respect, and passion for the places we love." 

Have you felt like an imposter in The Mountaineers? Why? When you do feel like you belong, what has contributed to that feeling? 

Blog image by Sam Ortiz.