Outdoor Divas Amy Lawton, Gina Wither, and Cristen Malia
This may be against the rules, but in a town ubiquitous with Mountain Hardwear Divas, I find it next to impossible to nominate only one phenomenal, outdoors-woman. Steamboat Springs, a mere dot on the map in NW Colorado, is home to a disproportionate number of women hovering at or surpassing Diva status, but there are three women that are especially worthy of nomination: Amy Lawton, Gina Wither and Cristen Malia.
What unites these women beyond their friendship, their passion for sport and their energy for all things mountain, is the fact that they all had their first-borns within one six-week period. Just like that, 3 brand-new moms and 3 brand-new boys. Abrupt changes in lifestyle have taken place. These ladies aren't currently training for (and crushing) the Iron Man Triathlon or cranking out century rides on the average Saturday, like Amy has been known to do. Gina is finding less time to skip away for a weekend to bike the Monarch Crest Trail just before leading high school students from CO to Moab along the Kokopelli Trail. And Cristen's days of competing in the Xterra Championships and the Vail 100 appear to be temporarily on hold. Let's face it...time is limited when you have another being dependent upon the timely functioning your mammary glands.
While they were most certainly Divas prior to the birth of their children, I believe that they are now even more deserving of the title. With the support of their equally studly husbands, these women continue to work and make time for themselves (and their babies) to get out and enjoy the outdoors daily. The ladies race to get in a sick MTB ride in a two-hour breastfeeding window. On these days, interval training takes on a whole new meaning. With the little ones in tow, day hikes and backpack trips require just a bit more foresight and an extra Viperine 3 serving as the infant sunshade/playpen.
While each woman is unique in their own right, with her own strengths and skills, these three divas deserve some combined recognition even if only to draw attention to the many women out there who have shown them how it can be done. It seems to me that today's woman really can have it all: a great career, a wonderful family and a healthy and active lifestyle. It just takes some passion and a little extra planning.
Nominated by Erin Brosterhous
