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I first met Shelma Jun (@shelmatic, founder of @heyflashfoxy) in Washington DC a few years ago. We had just finished two intense days of lobbying for public lands on Capitol Hill, and it was time to play. On a subway ride to the climbing gym, I expressed to Shelma my delight at how many different groups of people were represented in our lobbying group–especially women. She said something in response that has always stuck with me. Sure, there were people of color and women. But none of them were in positions of leadership. Before we give ourselves too much of a pat on the back, we need to look at who’s at the top.It’s not enough to have women and people from marginalized groups at the table. We need them in positions of leadership. Until then, we have our work cut out for us. I’m excited that there will be more diversity in Congress after the midterm elections. Yet we still have a long way to go to achieve gender parity in government. The same is true in the outdoor industry. Shelma is leading the way as the founder of Flash Foxy. Flash Foxy began as an online platform to celebrate women climbing with women and to be a place where women could come to feel inspired by and connected to each other. Now, she continues to bring women climbers together through a variety of events across the country. She’s an outspoken advocate for creating an inclusive climbing community where everyone can free to be who they are.I highly recommend following Shelma – @shelmatic and @heyflashfoxy. Photos by @Francois lebeau and @_drew_smith_#MountainsAreForEveryone
