Amira Patel is empowering Muslim women through adventure

Amira Patel was destined to be an explorer, and has taken her boots to some of the world’s most dramatic peaks. But even beyond these physical achievements, perhaps her most ambitious expedition to date has been her quest to create a sisterhood in which Muslim women could be visible – and vibrant – in the outdoors. Wanderlust Women is the living proof that exercise is empowerment.

At Breast Cancer UK, we know that whilst staying active isn’t always easy, it can reduce your risk of breast cancer by a massive 20%. This is why we recommend easing in with small steps like our 30-day challenge. For those who still aren’t feeling inspired, Amira’s story proves that on top of providing potentially life-changing health benefits, starting your own adventure is medicine for the soul.

“I always knew that I had it in me to be a bit adventurous. I was the wild child, but I felt like I hadn’t truly opened up until later in my life when I had gone through a divorce and I climbed a mountain and I saw how it helped me spiritually, physically and mentally. It was a big healing process for me.”

Amira’s personal relationship with nature was instrumental in her emotional recovery, enabling her to reconnect her identity and individuality. And yet, it was only when she started venturing solo into these vast landscapes that she became aware of how alone she really was as a Muslim woman.

“I realised that there wasn’t a space for Muslim women to adventure, to explore, to travel.” 

Not everyone grew up with a role model like Amira’s Mum, who fed her daughter’s wild streak and inspired her to forge her own path in the great outdoors. Perhaps you never had that driving force to push you towards a healthy lifestyle. But it’s never too late to do something about it, and for Amira it was this obvious lack of opportunity and access that gave her an epiphany: hiking could also be harnessed as a powerful social tool for others in the same position. And so, three years ago, she created Wanderlust Women.

“It’s an adventure and traveling group for Muslim women to hike, travel, retreat, try new things, and most importantly, create a sisterhood.”

Amira makes it clear with this mission statement that while staying active is incredibly important, the impact of each adventure stretches far beyond the obvious health benefits of reducing your risk.

“It’s more than coming on a trip and doing a certain activity. Women take away much more. It’s a space where people can connect back to their feminine energy. It’s about being in a positive environment where women can connect with each other. It’s a healing space. It’s a space where they can get more spiritually aligned with their faith.”

During tough physical challenges, these women can also see themselves and each other in a new light.

“It’s just allowing Muslim women to be visible in these spaces, allowing them to know that they can break these barriers and misconceptions.” 

Amira explains that while many barriers have formed as a result of Islamophobia and racism, some of these hurdles require more personal introspection to overcome.

“The biggest barrier for me, especially when it comes to fitness, was being in a space where I didn’t have to compromise my faith. I used to love doing adventurous things and for a while I stopped because either people would stare or I didn’t have the correct clothing that would satisfy my modesty needs as a Muslim, or I didn’t feel comfortable.”

Amira is aware that negative stigma can impact our ability to stay active; she mentions that sometimes wearing a niqab has made her more conscious of her whereabouts. However, in creating a safe space, she has been able to celebrate her faith without compromise.

“I think through my journey, I’ve learned that actually it has empowered me and I’m able to tackle a lot more and put myself out there a lot more. And I think mentally it’s all confidence, like sometimes when you’re going through a dark phase in your life or when you don’t have the correct people around you, your confidence can play a big part.”

This is why surrounding yourself with the right community, whether you are a seasoned hiker or a complete beginner, is so vital.

“As much as we love doing the adventure and the hiking, the talks that we have in the night or the friendships that we make are the most beautiful things that we take away.” 

In other words, these group challenges have facilitated deeper bonds on a psychological level. According to Amira this is not the only benefit to finding your tribe; it can also help boost your physical wellbeing.

“Community is so important when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Already for Muslims, being healthy is such an important factor. It’s something that’s ingrained in our lifestyle and it’s something that we must do, and especially in having herbal remedies and eating good organic food.”

“And I think it’s really important that as a community as well, you help each other. And that’s why I have such a passion because I know that a lot of women, especially from the South Asian culture, they don’t get out, and I just really want them to move, get out, exercise, stay fit, not just for their physical health, but their mental health as well. “

Staying active won’t always be easy, but for Amira it’s a matter of pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.

“When you want to start something, you’re always going to be quite nervous, but I feel like you just have to go out there and just try it. Try it with a group, try it with a friend. It’s hard when you have that mindset of not wanting to try something because you don’t know how it’s going to feel. But if you don’t, you’ll never know how it feels.”

Amira has seen first-hand how taking the leap can be life-changing for members of the Wanderlust Women.

“We’ve had so many women that didn’t know whether they were going to like hiking and three years on, they’re volunteering on the team.”

While Breast Cancer UK’s 30-day challenge is a great way to start your fitness journey – and reduce your risk of breast cancer in the process – Amira points out that for the long term, you need to find something that will fit into your routine.

“I think it’s really important that you always have to adjust the lifestyle for you. For someone like me, who’s constantly here and there with travel, I have to choose something that’s going to work for me. Sometimes you might not even like doing certain activities and that’s fine. What works for someone else is not going to work for you.”

But once you do find the right activity, you won’t be able to stop – most of the time, anyway.

“The motivation for me is that I come back and I’m like, okay, I need to do it again. There’s something so special about being in the mountains. And it’s always, what’s the next adventure? Although sometimes I’m like, I’m never doing this again.”

Jokes aside, Amira has to train extremely hard to carry out this level of expedition on a regular basis, and her continued resilience is proof that the effort is worth the reward.

“The feeling that you achieve, especially when you take a group out and the feeling that they experience of being empowered and the challenges that you go through during the hike, it really humbles you.”

Amira doesn’t only empower her close-knit circle; she also advocates for all women through her support of charities including Breast Cancer UK. And just like us, Amira is interested in making small daily changes that impact the bigger picture. 

“My passion goes far beyond just helping my local community. We’re helping women all over the world to feel empowered and stronger.” 

Has Amira’s story inspired you? Play your part and sign up for our 30-Day Challenge to get active and reduce your risk of breast cancer. When you consistently hit your targets, the activity is more likely to become a lasting habit (source). 

• awareness
• BCUK
• Breast cancer
• breast cancer prevention
• Breast Cancer UK
• cancer
• Challenge
• charities
• Fundraise
• Marathon
• prevention
• Run
• Running