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Jessyca is the founder of Colour Your Trail, an organisation advocating for a more diverse, welcoming, and inclusive outdoors for underrepresented communities throughout Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
"One question I often ask audiences is: 'How often do you see a Black Person on the Swiss mountain trails?' The silence that follows says a lot. As a passionate trail runner and founder of Colour Your Trail, I use that opening to highlight the invisible barriers for people of colour to access outdoor spaces.
This June, on a trail running weekend in the Swiss Alps, I experienced something entirely new for me: spending a night in a mountain hut at 1,860m. Surrounded by the quiet magic of the mountains, a beautiful rainbow stretching across the valley, and a refreshing dip in a heart-shaped alpine lake, it was a setting that felt both humbling and unforgettable.
Mountain huts are a cherished part of Alpine culture, yet they are also places where people who look like me are still rarely seen. As I sat with this thought, I was reminded that belonging goes beyond representation alone. Representation may open the door, but belonging is what allows us to stay. It is the feeling of being seen for who you are, welcomed without hesitation, and accepted without having to prove you've earned your place."
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