Uyen-Phuong Nguyen (she/her)

Scholarship Recipient | 2022 Flash Foxy Fall Fest - North Conway

Group photo from Intro to Trad course with Genevive Walker. By @themegallen

It's no secret that the words "Diversity", "Equity" and "Inclusion" are thrown around often these days. Sometimes, it seems that a brand or organization publishes a DEI statement because it is the "hip" thing to do, without actually backing it up. Flash Foxy is the rare organization that puts its money where its mouth is. 

I attended the Flash Foxy Climbing Festival in North Conway this past September as a recipient of their scholarship. At the time, I was in the middle of facilitating backpacking, rock climbing, and whitewater trips through Outward Bound. I absolutely loved my job, but through it I saw disparities in the outdoor industry and barriers to entry that stand tall to this day. Namely: lack of gear, lack of representation in facilitators and leaders, and the fact that it's expensive, period, to recreate outdoors as the market exists today. 

Photo of Indigenous Field Guide Workshop with Briana Mazzolini-Blanchard. By @littlemountainruth

I'm a queer, first generation Vietnamese-American woman who believes strongly in the transformative power of the outdoors, and wouldn't be who I am today without the mentors I've had who exposed me to climbing, to backpacking, to the (stolen) land we get to recreate on. What does it mean for a person like me to go outdoors? It means everything. It means the whole world. I never had access to these opportunities growing up, and the fact that an organization with powerful women and non-binary leaders is helping me learn, and helping me grow, at THEIR expense, is radical. I received a scholarship that I don't know if I deserved. What makes me a more deserving candidate than any other? I don't really know, but I knew that I was going to make the most of this opportunity and learn as much as I can, and to teach what I learned to others. 

Action photo from Intro to Trad course with Genevive Walker. By @themegallen

 I attended the Intro-To-Trad clinic, and learned from Genevieve and Andrea, who were incredible, patient teachers. I attended the Recreating on Indigenous Land workshop, and gained tools to talk about the land that we are on, and steps to take to support indigenous folk. I laughed and laughed. I danced. And of course, I climbed a lot. Most of all - I learned so much, and had a lovely time doing so. 

Another hot word these days: "radical". I think Flash Foxy is radicalizing the way we interact with outdoor spaces, how I interact with outdoor spaces. I will be forever thankful for the weekend I spent in North Conway with 100+ of my closest friends. 

Thank you for the honor <3