アレックス・オノルドさんのインスタグラム写真 - (アレックス・オノルドInstagram)「Hello everyone! This is @kailightner with an Instagram takeover! In honor of the launch of my non-profit organization @climbing4change, Alex has allowed me to use his platform to talk about this initiative and the importance of diversity work in the outdoor industry. Here's a little about myself: I grew up in a predominantly minority community in NC. My introduction to the outdoors came by a stroke of luck, when a lady watched me climb a flagpole at 6 years old and urged my mom to get me into rock climbing. This by-chance encounter exposed me to a new world completely foreign to my community, which developed my deep passion for competitive climbing and the great outdoors. My connection with nature has taught me many lessons about myself and the world around me, including how to be mentally and spiritually grounded during hard times like these. Although many of us can recount life changing experiences with nature, this is a privilege many in our society don’t have access to. Mental, socioeconomic, and systemic barriers exist that marginalize people of color and contribute to our large diversity gap; minorities only represent 5% of outdoor recreators despite representing 40% of the U.S population. This gap can be attributed to high prices associated with outdoor adventure programs and gym memberships, along with a history of oppression and discrimination that has stigmatized these spaces. These experiences inspired me to start a non-profit, @climbing4change, under the belief that exposure to the outdoors shouldn’t happen by luck. Our mission is to connect underserved communities with individuals and organizations seeking to increase minority participation in rock climbing and the outdoor industry. We plan to fulfill this by funding diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and providing funding and services to community leaders and climbing gym programs across our industry. This journey will require significant amounts of time, focus and funds, which is why we encourage people to donate and share our initiative. No contribution is too small, and the more we share our initiative, the more people we can reach who are willing to donate and work with us!」8月7日 0時49分