Get excited for the return of our wonderful community stories! This week, we’ve got a fantastically motivating and possibly relatable story from TSA community member Kylie Duggan. She’s joined us on a ton of adventures (and taken lots of wonderful photos for our community page), but the avid adventurer we know her to be now isn’t necessarily where she started.
Have a read of her story to see how she has grown over the last year and a half. Who knows? Maybe her story will inspire you to follow in her footsteps.
After revolving my life around my family and keeping everyone happy, I decided I was due for some me time. I knew I deserved to find a hobby I truly enjoyed and to meet new people who have the same interests as me. After 6 months of being on my own and feeling sorry for myself, I decided it was time to do what I wanted to and not let anything hold me back. On that bucket list of things I genuinely wanted to do was go to Wilsons Prom. Being single and new to Facebook, TSA came across my social media feed.
After procrastinating for a few months, I decided to finally message TSA, with Tracey responding to my messages on the other end. I asked her 101 questions. Do people go alone? What if I’m not fit enough? Do I need to buy anything special? Of course, she said, “Just do it, you will be fine!” Those of you who know Tracey will probably be familiar with that awesome pep talk! Anyway, I did ‘just do it’ and have never regretted it or looked back for a second! I cried for a few consecutive days before the day of my first hike, with anxiety through the roof, but knew I had to get out of my comfort zone to really grow. When I arrived alone, I was greeted with smiles and friendliness. I shared a room with a lady who had been with TSA for a while and she told me straight up, “You’ll get addicted”. Well, guess what? I am!
All I can say is that I’m so grateful I found TSA and everything they provide. Maybe the Facebook algorithm is useful in some cases! I hope my story has given you inspiration to join an adventure or a hike with TSA. Trust me, any concerns you have can be overcome with the support of the staff and community, just don’t be afraid to ask questions and put yourself out there. Remember: you’ve got this and you won’t regret it. After all, there could be worse things you can be addicted to!
This was more than 18 months ago. Now, I have been on all different types of adventures from urban photography, short hikes, day hikes, gourmet hikes, yoga weekends, Wilsons Prom (twice!), spending 4 days in the Blue Mountains, and now venturing on the 7-day New Zealand adventure this November! Without fail, I always have thoughts come to mind about being fit enough whenever I book. However, I always remind myself that it’s only putting unnecessary pressure on me because all the people I’ve met have been friendly and supportive on every trip, no exceptions! It’s so relaxing and refreshing knowing that we are all there for similar things: exercise, fresh air, making friends, and eating lemon slice!
Thank you Kylie for sharing your story with all of us. Going adventuring is impressive at any scale, but doing it when you’re nervous and have a ton of questions is even more so! At any rate, we’re so happy you decided to come with us on that first fateful adventure, and we hope your story can inspire others to do the same.
If you have an adventure story of your own (doesn’t have to be TSA related), then feel free to email it to us at hello@takeshapeadventures.com.au. Let your personality come out in your writing and give us some photos if you have any too!
